Elsevier

Preventive Medicine

Volume 91, October 2016, Pages 250-263
Preventive Medicine

Presence, characteristics and equity of access to breast cancer screening programmes in 27 European countries in 2010 and 2014. Results from an international survey

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.08.021Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Organised breast cancer screening is in place in nearly all the European Union.

  • There are differences in the way breast cancer screening programmes are implemented.

  • Some social groups are excluded in the target population of such programmes.

  • Future challenges will be to maintain the coverage achieved despite austerity.

  • Strategies to reduce the gap in inequalities have to be implemented.

Abstract

The European Union Council Recommendation of 2 December 2003 on cancer screening suggests the implementation of organised, population-based breast cancer screening programmes based on mammography every other year for women aged 50 to 69 years, ensuring equal access to screening, taking into account potential needs for targeting particular socioeconomic groups. A European survey on coverage and participation, and key organisational and policy characteristics of the programmes, targeting years 2010 and 2014, was undertaken in 2014. Overall, 27 countries contributed to this survey, 26 of the 28 European Union member states (92.9%) plus Norway. In 2014, 25 countries reported an ongoing population-based programme, one country reported a pilot programme and another was planning a pilot. In eight countries, the target age range was broader than that proposed by the Council Recommendation, and in three countries the full range was not covered. Fifteen countries reported not reaching some vulnerable populations, such as immigrants, prisoners and people without health insurance, while 22 reported that participation was periodically monitored by socioeconomic variables (e.g. age and territory). Organised, population-based breast cancer screening programmes based on routine mammograms are in place in most EU member states. However, there are still differences in the way screening programmes are implemented, and participation by vulnerable populations should be encouraged.

Abbreviations

DG SANTE
European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety
ECN
European Cancer Network
EHIS
Eurostat European health interview survey
EUNICE
European Network for Information on Cancer
EPAAC
European Partnership for Action Against Cancer
FISABIO
Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana
JRC
European Commission's Joint Research Centre

Keywords

Early detection of cancer
Breast neoplasms
Socioeconomic factors
Europe

Cited by (0)

1

SD and AM equally contributed to this manuscript.

2

DS and DL equally contributed to this manuscript.