Why Europe Needs Better Diagnostics and Data to Modernize Cancer Screening – European Alliance for Personalised Medicine
European Alliance for Personalised Medicine (EAPM) shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Flying Blind: Why Europe Needs Better Diagnostics and Data to Modernize Cancer Screening
Diagnostics are the silent engine of cancer innovation—but far too often, they’re failing the patients who need them most.
Nearly half of all cancer medicines approved between 2015 and 2020 for solid tumors are linked to predictive biomarkers, yet access to advanced testing—such as next-generation sequencing (NGS)—remains fragmented across Europe. Patients in Central and Eastern Europe are particularly affected. For those with rare or hard-to-reach tumors, this often means never being identified for life-extending treatment.
The economic case for smarter screening and diagnostics is clear. Europe spends €146 billion annually on direct cancer care, and the total economic burden has risen by 43% since 1995. Yet the burden per patient has remained stable, between €70,000 and €78,000, showing that better allocation – not more spending can deliver stronger results.
But how can we allocate smarter without knowing where the gaps are? Thirteen of 31 European countries still don’t publish five-year cancer survival data, and most lack real-time visibility into how patients are diagnosed and treated. This leaves policymakers and clinicians flying blind—unable to track outcomes, identify inequities, or scale improvements.
These blind spots extend to screening.
- Colorectal screening rates are below 50% in two-thirds of EU+2 countries.
- Only 11 report mammogram coverage above 50% for women aged 50–69.
Even with innovations like self-sampling, AI triage, and risk-based protocols, many tools remain stuck in pilots, not policy.
The result is a growing innovation-access gap, where some citizens benefit from precision care while others remain in outdated systems. As cancer is set to become the EU’s leading cause of death by 2035, this inequity is not just unjust it’s unsustainable.
It’s also inefficient. While countries spending more tend to achieve better survival, returns diminish without strategic focus. For instance, Sweden and Switzerland have similar outcomes, yet Switzerland spends more than double per capita.
The July 15th event at the European Parliament—’Every Second Counts: Modernizing Cancer Screening to Save Lives‘, organised by EAPM— comes at a crucial moment. We have the science, technology, and pilots. What’s needed now is the policy will to scale, close the diagnostic equity gap, and build data systems to track who benefits—and who doesn’t.
It’s time to stop flying blind. Join us on July 15th!
Register now to secure your spot.
Svetlana Nikic, Founder of Precision Oncology Consulting, shared this post, adding:
“Great post by European Alliance for Personalised Medicine – please read if you are involved/interested in cancer care across Europe.”
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