A European Public Health committee urges stronger EU action on cancer, including dedicated funding, enhanced prevention, and equal access to screening and treatment across member states.

Quality-of-life measures are prioritized, spanning labor market integration, rehabilitation, psychosocial support, the Right to Be Forgotten, cross-border care for children, and formal inclusion of patient representatives in policy design and monitoring.

Prevention goals include updating tobacco rules to cover e-cigarettes and nicotine products, plain packaging, flavour restrictions, ingredient reporting, banning online sales to minors, higher excise duties, stricter alcohol controls, and harmonised front-of-pack nutrition labeling based on evidence.

The rapporteur highlights cancer as a major EU health issue with about 1.3 million deaths annually and up to 40% preventable, arguing the Beating Cancer Plan could save as many as half a million lives each year.

Screening and treatment efforts aim to reduce inter-country inequalities by ensuring equal access, prioritising breast, cervical, and prostate cancer, incorporating AI-supported screening, robust invitation/recall systems, and ensuring 90% of patients gain access to National Comprehensive Cancer Centres by 2030; voluntary joint procurement is favored to improve drug access.

The proposal calls for the next long-term EU budget to allocate at least €10.05 billion for health, with €2.5 billion earmarked specifically for cancer-related actions.