European guidelines for quality assurance in colorectal cancer screening and diagnosis

Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 130
Alfred Sant (S&D)

E-002958-16
Subject: European guidelines for quality assurance in colorectal cancer screening and diagnosis

How many Member States have introduced a formal population screening programme (inviting all citizens to attend) for colorectal cancer (CRC) as recommended in the 2011 European guidelines for quality assurance in colorectal cancer screening and diagnosis?
What are the compliance rates for the countries that have adopted a formal population screening programme for CRC?
Answer given by Mr Andriukaitis on behalf of the Commission
The Commission is supporting Member States in implementing screening programmes by developing guidelines for quality assurance for effectiveness of breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening, in the context of Council Recommendation 2003/878/EC on cancer screening(1). In 2011, the Commission published the first edition of the ‘European Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Colorectal Cancer Screening and Diagnosis’(2).
Implementing colorectal cancer screening programmes only started in the 2000s, and takes years to be extensively implemented. According to the most recent data compiled by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Commission(3), it appears that there are currently population-based screening programmes at national level for colorectal cancer in 15 Member States, population based regional screening programmes in 4 Member States, and in 9 Member States no programmes exist for the moment.

E-002958-16

Suġġett: Linji gwida Ewropej għall-assigurazzjoni tal-kwalità fl-iskrining u fid-dijanjosi tal-kanċer kolorettali
Kemm-il Stat Membru introduċew programm formali ta’ skrining tal-popolazzjoni (li jistieden liċ-ċittadini kollha jattendu) għall-kanċer kolorettali (CRC) kif rakkomandat fil-linji gwida Ewropej tal-2011 għall-assigurazzjoni tal-kwalità fl-iskrining u fid-dijanjosi tal-kanċer kolorettali?
X’inhuma r-rati ta’ konformità għall-pajjiżi li adottaw programm formali ta’ skrining tal-popolazzjoni għall-kanċer kolorettali?
Tweġiba mogħtija mis-Sur Andriukaitis f’isem il-Kummissjoni
Il-Kummissjoni qed tappoġġa lill-Istati Membri fl-implimentazzjoni ta’ programmi ta’ skrinjar permezz tal-iżvilupp ta’ linji gwida għall-assigurazzjoni tal-kwalità tal-effikaċja tal-iskrinjar għall-kanċer tas-sider, għall-kanċer ċervikali u għall-kanċer kolorettali, fil-kuntest tar-Rakkomandazzjoni tal-Kunsill 2003/878/KE dwar l-iskrinjar tal-kanċer(1). Fl-2011, il-Kummissjoni ppubblikat l-ewwel edizzjoni tal-“Linji Gwida Ewropej għall-Assigurazzjoni tal-Kwalità fl-Iskrinjar u d-Dijanjożi tal-Kanċer Kolorettali”.(2)
Il-programmi ta’ skrinjar tal-kanċer kolorettali bdew jiġu implimentati biss fis-snin 2000, u jieħdu s-snin biex jiġu implimentati b’mod estensiv. Skont l-aktar dejta riċenti miġbura mill-Aġenzija Internazzjonali għar-Riċerka dwar il-Kanċer (IARC) u l-Kummissjoni(3), jidher li bħalissa hemm 15-il Stat Membru li għandhom programmi ta’ skrinjar ibbażati fuq il-popolazzjoni fil-livell nazzjonali għall-kanċer kolorettali, hemm 4 Stati Membri li għandhom programmi ta’ skrinjar reġjonali bbażati fuq il-popolazzjoni u hemm 9 Stati Membri li fil-preżent ma għandhom l-ebda programm.