Europe must double its cancer screening efforts, to prevent mortality rates climbing as the population ages.

The European Commissioner for Health is also urging cooperative action to address huge disparities in cancer death rates. Europe is aiming at a 15 percent reduction by 2020. Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said: “We have cases where of course member states work on research or work on actions which do not bring out any new element so we have to work and cooperate more efficiently on this and also on research.” A European Partnership for Action against Cancer being prepared for launch will seek to share prevention and control capacities. One of its central aims will be 100 percent population coverage for breast, cervical and colorectal screening.More about: Health

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