Established in 2020, the ECL Prevention and Early Detection Working Group (P&EDWG) connects cancer control experts from cancer leagues across Europe who work together on various primary and secondary prevention issues, with a focus on tobacco control, early detection and obesity.

The working group will contribute towards achieving ECL’s mission statement: “to advocate for improved cancer control and care in Europe through facilitating collaboration between cancer leagues and influencing EU and pan-European policies.”

The general objectives that guide the work of the group are to:

  • Foster the regular exchange of knowledge and experience amongst member leagues via routine virtual and physical meetings, online tools for collaboration, and other relevant means as identified by member leagues;  
  • Assist member leagues with the implementation of policies in their countries, in order to reach actual successes, sharing data for benchmarking;
  • Proactively engage with policy development at the European level, concerning prevention and early detection respectively, by defining ECL’s specific response to policy and legislative proposals, and formulating recommendations for public health advocacy at the European level.
Introductory Note from the P&EDWG Chair

Prevention has been the top cancer control objective since the mid-20th century, but it still remains a largely unfilled and urgent public health priority. This is why ECL continues to invest in this work, which is proven to be the most cost-effective long-term strategy for cancer control. Representing more than three dozen associations, ECL has been focusing on cancer prevention for several years now, with special focus on tobacco issues, namely the ones raised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC). Reflecting the renewed European interest in the fight against cancer, particularly with the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, a new edition of the European Code Against Cancer is currently being developed, with ECL’s support and endorsement. We will be at the forefront of  efforts once this  is released in 2025. 

Meanwhile, having in mind that between 30% and 50% of cancer deaths can be prevented by combining primary and secondary prevention, for the last three years the Prevention and Early Detection Working Group (P&ED WG) has been fostering collaboration among cancer prevention experts from cancer leagues across Europe, working to generate knowledge and improve current cancer prevention strategies. Prevention, in all its forms, has always been of the highest importance and a key focus of cancer leagues’ activities. Primary and secondary prevention are essential to achieve ECL’s mission for a Europe free from cancer, and there is no doubt that the importance of prevention will remain part of our common agenda with the European elections in 2024. 

Although well-informed individual choices are important, many factors, such as the availability of different food, the accessibility of early diagnosis methods and the pricing and advertisement of tobacco products, are outside of people’s control. In order to achieve healthy lifestyles over the life course and effect change at the population level, it is crucial that policy makers and governments prioritise cancer prevention and work with civil society, the private sector and all stakeholders to ensure that our environment is conducive to positive behavioural change. 

We are hopeful that our work will contribute to reducing the cancer burden by stepping up our prevention and health promotion efforts,  proposing new prevention strategies and advocating for better early detection strategies. 

This is not a task for a single person, cancer league, or country; fighting cancer is everyone’s responsibility and each and every one of us has a role. Working together to advance cancer prevention makes us stronger. 

Cristiana Fonseca

Chair, ECL Prevention & Early Detection Working Group