International Cancer Equality Day Urges Global Action to Eliminate Disparities in Cancer Prevention and Treatment Accessibility
Europe Remains Faced with Cancer Inequalities Despite Four-Year Efforts
Four years after the launch of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, persistent inequalities in cancer prevention and care continue to pose a significant challenge. Today, the World Cancer Day serves as a poignant reminder for EU policymakers to expedite efforts to eradicate these gaps in healthcare systems across the continent.
The indiscriminate nature of cancer contrasts its unfair distribution among different parts of the European Union, where location and economic circumstances can significantly impact a person's cancer risk and access to treatment. In 2022 alone, an estimated 2.7 million individuals faced a cancer diagnosis, with nearly 1.3 million lives claimed by the disease, making it the second-leading cause of death in Europe.
A detailed analysis of the data reveals that the disparities in cancer mortality rates between EU nations are substantial. Countries such as Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Latvia, Slovenia, and Poland have mortality rates more than 15% above the EU average, while Spain, Sweden, Finland, Malta, and Cyprus exhibit the lowest levels of such mortality in the bloc.
The factors contributing to this survival gap are multifaceted. Research indicates that access to cancer prevention and care measures—such as screenings, vaccines, healthy environments, and education—frequently hinges on socioeconomic status and geographical location. As a result, disadvantaged individuals often face disproportionately high rates of cancer deaths.
For instance, preliminary research findings demonstrate that lung cancer mortality rates are 2.6 times higher among less-educated men and 1.7 times higher among less-educated women. Furthermore, 20% of the most polluted areas within Europe, which are often characterized by lower GDP per capita, coincide with regions bearing a higher risk of lung cancer, leaving vulnerable communities at increased peril.
Access to medicines also varies across the EU, with the high cost of novel medicines in many countries preventing residents from accessing the latest treatments. In countries with comparatively low purchasing power, cancer patients are often deprived of advanced treatment options. For instance, between 2019 and 2022, cancer patients in Germany had access to 46 out of 48 cancer medicines authorized at the EU level, whereas patients in Lithuania could access only three.
Addressing these inveterate inequalities in cancer prevention and care is critical for reducing the overall burden of the disease. While the Europe's Beating Cancer Plan has taken many significant steps to alleviate the disease's impact across the continent, numerous commitments aimed at addressing the underlying factors driving disparities remain unfulfilled.
Successfully bridging these gaps requires the European Commission to swiftly implement the remaining initiatives outlined in the EU's Cancer Plan. The planned revisions of tobacco legislation, the introduction of food and alcohol labeling, action to reduce exposure to harmful pollutants, and other measures to combat the high burden of cancer and reduce disparities should not be delayed.
Furthermore, EU governments play a pivotal role in this ongoing battle against cancer. Advancing voluntary joint procurement of cancer medication can help achieve lower prices and make smaller markets more attractive to pharmaceutical companies. Finalizing the reform of the EU's pharma package is also essential to creating a more equitable, patient-centered pharmaceutical system.
European policymakers bear both a legal and moral obligation to protect vulnerable populations while fostering a healthy environment for all. By tackling the root causes of cancer inequalities and bridging the gaps in prevention and care, the European Union can ensure that no patient is left behind.
The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), an independent, non-profit alliance of national and regional cancer societies, remains a steadfast advocate for equitable cancer care across the continent. In its role, ECL collaborates with stakeholders from various sectors to share best practices, promote public health initiatives, and support the implementation of policies designed to address cancer inequalities in the region.
- Despite four-year efforts through Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, medical-conditions like cancer persist with disparities in healthcare systems across the continent, requiring urgent policy-and-legislation changes to provide health-and-wellness opportunities for all.
- In the realm of politics and policy-and-legislation, it's crucial for the European Commission to promptly implement the remaining initiatives outlined in the EU's Cancer Plan, such as tobacco legislation revisions, food and alcohol labeling, pollution reduction, and voluntary joint procurement of cancer medicines to ensure a patient-centered pharmaceutical system.
- To eradicate cancer disparities and promote general-news stories of improvement, European policymakers must address the root causes of the disease, with a focus on access to cancer prevention measures, medical-conditions treatment, and medicines, while protecting the health and well-being of vulnerable populations across Europe.
