Prostate cancer included in final guidance

The Ministers of Health from all 27 EU Member States have now agreed on the final version of updated EU recommendations on cancer screening, after weeks of negotiation about European Commission proposals by member state governments.

Prostate cancer remains on the list of cancers that will benefit from EU-wide early detection guidance.

The new recommendations invite EU Member States, on the basis of further research, to “evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of organised prostate cancer  screening for men, on the basis of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in combination with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning as follow-up”.

The European Association of Urology, which alongside Europa Uomo spearheaded efforts to ensure that prostate cancer early detection programmes were included in the recommendations, has welcomed the announcement as “a significant milestone”.

“The European Commission will assist EU member states to turn the tide on ‘too late’ diagnosis and rising mortality rates,” said Sarah Collen, EAU Policy Manager. “This will also limit the costs and harms of opportunistic screening.”

Pictured is the Czech Minister of Health signing the new recommendations after their approval.

More reaction follows.