EU4Health projects tackling lung cancer prevention and screening

27% of all cancer cases in Europe are linked to tobacco use. In particular, 9 out of 10 cases of lung cancer could be avoided by eliminating tobacco use¹.  

In light of this, Europe's Beating Cancer Plan emphasises the importance of tobacco control as a key prevention measure. The Plan aims to reach a "tobacco-free generation", with less than 5% of the population using tobacco by 2040. 

EU4Health projects such as RELIEF and LAPIN are contributing to reach these objectives. 

The use of e-cigarettes and new nicotine products by young people raises concerns about nicotine addiction and long-term health consequences. Parents and educators can play a key role in the fight against tobacco use at a young age. The RELIEF project is collecting information about the views of children aged 6-12 on tobacco and new nicotine products, to develop awareness raising campaigns targeting young people, training for parents, teachers and health workers and guidelines for policymakers.  By engaging young people and focusing on prevention, the project aims to reduce the emergence of lung cancer later in life.  

LAPIN is developing a modelling of tobacco exposure and lung cancer, to produce an EU smoking history generator (SHG). This will allow EU countries to:  

• Forecast the burden of lung cancer over time and by population group   
• Have a forecast of the share of preventable cancer   
• Weigh benefits and harms of screening   

The project also organises stakeholder engagement workshops to bring together the generated knowledge and the needs of screening organisers and summarise best practices.

Background  

EU4Health is the fourth and largest of the EU health programmes. The EU4Health programme goes beyond an ambitious response to the COVID-19 crisis to address the resilience of European healthcare systems. The programme provides funding to national authorities, health organisations and other bodies through grants and public procurement, contributing to a healthier Europe.  

HaDEA manages the vast majority of the total EU4Health budget and implements the programme by managing calls for proposals and tenders from 2021 to 2027.

¹ Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:8dec84ce-66df-11eb-aeb5-01aa75ed71a1.0002.02/DOC_1&format=PDF)