Today, ahead of World Cancer Day, the Commission has published the latest Country Cancer Profiles for all Member States, Norway and Iceland. The 2025 reports show that cancer survival rates are increasing across the EU. At the same time, cancer continues to be a public health concern, and cancer inequalities still persist across Member States.
The profiles also demonstrate how cancer can touch us all, with the number of people under active treatment or living with a history of cancer increasing due to population ageing and increased survival rates. In recognition of this, most countries have developed national cancer plans that align closely with the key elements in Europe's Beating Cancer Plan.
The Profiles highlight other important facts, including:
- Cancer survival rates have improved, with cancer mortality decreasing by 12% [1] . At the same time, cancer prevalence has increased by 24% [2] , calling for further efforts to develop rehabilitation and quality of life programmes.
- About half of cancer cases are caused by four main cancer types: colorectal, lung, prostate and breast. Breast cancer is responsible for almost one in three new cancer cases among women in the EU, while prostate cancer accounts for almost one in four new cases among men.
- There are still strong inequalities in cancer mortality. Gaps vary greatly across countries, with rates remaining highest in low-income countries, among persons with lower levels of education and among men. This underlines the importance of continuing to address inequalities in access and standards of care.
- There have been improvements on a number of cancer risk factors in the EU, including decreasing smoking rates and an overall decrease in alcohol use. Overweight and obesity however remain an increasing challenge, with over half of adults in the EU being overweight.
- There are worrying trends when it comes to early detection via screening. One in two EU countries have seen a decline in breast cancer screening uptake, and two out of three have noted decreases in cervical cancer screening.
The biennial Country Profiles are compiled together with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), under the European Cancer Inequalities Registry . Today's new edition is accompanied by a Synthesis report, summarising and comparing the situation at EU level.
As one of the actions of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, the Commission also published the first official version of the European quality assurance scheme for breast cancer services today. The scheme defines a set of quality requirements for breast cancer care, covering screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. The aim of the scheme is to ensure quality and continuity of care across Europe, as part of the European Commission Initiative on Breast Cancer (ECIBC) .
On World Cancer Day, Commissioner Várhelyi will also host his first Youth Policy Dialogue, with 30 young cancer survivors and young cancer professionals. The Dialogue will be an occasion for the participants to share their views on EU health policies and programmes in the field of oncology and discuss how health policy can better serve cancer patients and survivors.
In the coming days, the Commission will also present a review of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan which will show the considerable progress made in the area of cancer policy since its launch in February 2021. The assessment will demonstrate that the Cancer Plan, the most ambitious, comprehensive and well-funded plan ever to address cancer at EU level, is delivering and that its key objectives remain valid. Sustained implementation remains crucial to continue making an impact for patients and families across the EU.
Background
Europe's Beating Cancer Plan is a key pillar of the European Health Union announced by President von der Leyen in 2020. The Cancer Plan is the Commission's renewed commitment to improve cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and quality of life of cancer patients and survivors in the EU. The Plan was launched in February 2021, with ten flagship initiatives and over 30 further actions across four pillars.
For the second release on 3 February 2025, in total 29 Cancer Country Profiles (EU27, Iceland and Norway) have been produced with the help of the OECD. The Profiles serve as a tool to identify inequalities in cancer prevention and care. They shed light on key achievements, challenges and disparities within each country and compare the findings for individual countries to the situation in the EU as a whole. This can help track progress achieved over time and support policy makers by guiding investment and interventions at regional, national and EU level under Europe's Beating Cancer Plan.
