Cancer Care

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer diagnosis among men in Europe, with around 450,000 new cases annually. It is the second or third most common cancer-related cause of death in men in many European countries. Read more  on prostate cancer here.

Despite this, systematic screening programmes have not been implemented across the EU. At the same time, opportunistic/ non organised individual PSA testing is highly prevalent, although known to be inefficient and contributing overdiagnosis. 

During the development of EBCP, EAU conducted targeted advocacy to highlight these gaps, and to present a potential way forward for a risk adapted screening algorithm. In December 2022, the EU undated the Council Screening Recommendations to include Prostate Cancer. Currently,  PRAISE-U (Prostate cancer Awareness and Initiative for Screening in the EU) is a three year project co-funded by the European Commission designed to meet these challenges by piloting Prostate Cancer screening programmes across the EU, and by strengthening the knowledge base and monitoring and evaluation capabilities. PRAISE U also leads the work on Prostate Cancer screening under the EU funded Joint Action, EUCanScreen. You can read more about EUCanScreen here.
 

• The PRAISE-U project aims to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by prostate cancer in EU Member States through smart early detection. In partnership with the consortium, PRAISE-U works to encourage early detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer through customised and risk-based screening programmes. The goal is to align protocols and guidelines across Member States and enable the collection and distribution of relevant data to reduce prostate cancer morbidity and mortality rates in Europe. Read more on PRAISE-U. This project brings together national and regional public health authorities to support implementation of the EU Cancer Screening Recommendations.
   
• The EAU Policy Office is a proud partner of EuropaUomo, the Prostate Cancer Patient Advocacy Group.
   Together, the EAU and EuropaUomo works for the recognition of PCa Patients and their rights by organising some of the following initiatives:
  • EPAD: Every 3rd of September we will commemorate the European Prostate Cancer Awareness Day. EuropaUomo, EAU and other organisations join forces to increase the knowledge on this type of cancer.
  • Other collaborations: The EAU Policy Office and EuropaUomo work together in ad-hoc situations, such as writing statements for public consultations, research papers, etc. 

Bladder cancer poses a significant public health challenge in Europe, ranking as the 5th most prevalent cancer and the 4th most common in men in Europe. Each year, over 224,000 new cases are diagnosed in Europe with 165,000 people diagnosed in the EU alone, placing a significant impact on healthcare systems and society. It is estimated that over 52,000 lives are lost annually to this disease in the EU, with projections indicating a worrying bladder cancer incidence increase to 219,000 by 2030.

• BCLEAR: BCLEAR (Bladder Cancer Literacy for All) aims to improve health literacy on bladder cancer to reduce incidence and mortality. The project focuses on raising awareness of risk factors like smoking and occupational exposures while supporting shared decision-making between patients and healthcare professionals. Pilot programs will run in Greece, Poland, and Hungary, tailored to each country’s context. BCLEAR provides education campaigns, decision-aid tools, and a virtual library to promote early diagnosis, personalized treatment, and serve as a model for future EU health literacy initiatives.

   

• The World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition:  The EAU and the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition (WBCPC) have authored a White Paper on Bladder Cancer, which details our community’s policy recommendations on how the EU can take decisive policy action to decrease the impact of Bladder Cancer throughout Europe. Stemming from the White Paper on Bladder Cancer and with the objective to reach policymakers with clear calls to action, the WBCPC and the EAU have developed an infographic which summarises the content of the paper and includes a checklist for policymakers.

These recommendations aim to improve patient outcomes, advance public health initiatives and drive innovation for patients with bladder cancer. They also aim to drive stronger collaboration between policymakers, healthcare professionals, researchers and patient advocates to enact lasting positive change for all people affected by bladder cancer.  

Scientific publications: Why We Need More Attention on Bladder Cancer: Establishing Policy Recommendations for Health Care Professionals and Politicians - ScienceDirect and also the upcoming Nature Reviews Urology paper.

Kidney cancer, in particular Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC), constitutes a health challenge across Europe. While RCC may represent a modest percentage of all cancers, its impact is far from negligible. In 2020, Europe accounted for over 138,000 new cases, a figure that underscores the need for concerted policy action. 

• The EAU works closely with IKCC, the kidney cancer patient coalition, in its advocacy on kidney cancer.
• In 2022, the IKCC and the EAU organised a Roundtable event in the European Parliament, with high-level speakers and guests, which included call to actions for the European Commission.
• EAU Scientific and Policy Briefing White Paper

Penile & Testicular cancer: Penile cancer is rare in Europe, with 0.3–2.1 cases per 100,000 men, while testicular cancer is more common, mainly affecting young men, with rising incidence in some countries but high survival if detected early.