Abstract
Cancer prevention in Europe remains fragmented across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, limiting both population health impact and progress on equity. Organised screening programmes offer a concrete entry point to connect these levels, yet this potential is not systematically realised. This round table presents findings from a scoping review conducted within the EU Joint Action EUCanScreen. The review mapped programmes and pilots linking primary and tertiary prevention to screening for breast, colorectal, and cervical cancers, combining peer-reviewed literature (2019–2025), inputs from national screening and public health authorities, and international guidelines. An equity lens was applied throughout to assess how initiatives address disparities in access, participation, and outcomes. Findings show that integration of primary prevention into screening is already widespread: many programmes use screening encounters as “teachable moments” to deliver lifestyle advice, risk communication, and tailored prevention messages. In contrast, integration of tertiary prevention remains limited and inconsistent, with fewer structured approaches to support cancer survivors’ re-entry into prevention pathways. Across settings, implementation relies on embedding interventions within existing screening workflows and on the role of trained healthcare professionals, but evidence on long-term sustainability and equity impact is scarce. For decision makers, these findings point to clear opportunities: screening programmes can be leveraged as delivery platforms for integrated prevention at scale; however, doing so requires deliberate system design. Key levers include workforce training, integration into routine workflows, data and follow-up systems, and explicit strategies to reach underserved populations and consideration of equity outcomes. The workshop will open with a synthesis of these findings, followed by a roundtable with three panelists representing national screening from diverse European contexts, and different screening programs (Spain, Madrid Region; Italy, Emilia-Romano Region; Ukraine, National level; EUNetCCC, EU level), with different types of linkage (teachable moments and lifestyle coaching, vaccination, or surgery and chemotherapy). Drawing on real-world cases across different health system models, panelists will discuss what enables or constrains integration in practice, and how equity can be operationalised. An interactive discussion with participants will focus on actionable questions: how to move from pilots to system-wide implementation; how to align prevention across the cancer continuum; and how to ensure integrated approaches reduce, rather than widen, inequalities. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of the current European landscape, concrete examples from national programmes, and practical insights on how to translate integrated cancer prevention into policy and practice.
Key messages
• Primary prevention is increasingly embedded in screening programmes, structured approaches for tertiary prevention remain underdeveloped, leading to fragmented prevention across the cancer continuum.
• Equity is acknowledged but rarely operationalised, highlighting a critical gap between policy ambition and implementation in integrated prevention models.
Speakers/Panellists
Gabrielle Schittecatte
Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
Marcello Di Pumpo
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy