Reference: Update February 2026 | Issue 2 | Vol 12 | Page 27
To celebrate World Cancer Day held on 4 February 2026, the European Commission, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), unveiled the fifth edition of the European Code Against Cancer – an initiative first launched in 1987 to help people make informed decisions that reduce the risk of cancer.
The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), which represents the voices of 35 national and regional cancer societies across Europe, has welcomed the initiative as a major leap forward in cancer prevention.
The fifth edition of the European Code Against Cancer consists of 14 easy-to-understand recommendations based on the latest scientific evidence. The Code tackles key cancer risk factors, including tobacco, overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, alcohol, sun exposure, air pollution, radon gas, and cancer-causing factors at work.
It also puts forward recommendations for breastfeeding, cancer-causing infections, vaccines, hormone replacement therapy, and organised cancer screening programmes.
Previous editions of the Code focused exclusively on actions individuals could take to prevent cancer. Now, for the first time, the updated Code also includes clear, science-based recommendations for governments and decision-makers, opening the door to stronger, systematic policy action to protect citizens and reduce the burden of cancer across Europe.
“The new European Code Against Cancer is a true game changer and makes it clear that cancer prevention cannot be left to individuals alone. We urge decision-makers across Europe to use this new Code as a blueprint for stronger laws and policies to protect people’s health and prevent cancer,” says Wolfgang Fecke, ECL Executive Director.
Carolina Espina, IARC Principal Investigator of the project to update the European Code Against Cancer, added: “The fifth edition of the European Code Against Cancer is out, now we need to join forces across multi-sectoral stakeholders to implement it in Member States.
“The ECL, the national cancer societies and other allies play a crucial role in disseminating of the Code. Effective dissemination will ensure understanding and [acceptance of] the Code by the public, empowering them to put the recommendations into practice, and engaging with decision-makers towards preventing cancer in the EU.”
“Cancer prevention begins close to home, where people live, work, and grow. It takes shape in people’s hands, through prevention and early detection. The new European Code Against Cancer gives countries a clear, science-based path forward. When woven into national programmes, it can save lives and turn cancer prevention into a shared act of care,” said Daniela Giangreco, Head of Primary Prevention, Italian League Against Cancer and ECL Vice-President.
The IARC has also started work on the development of the third EU report on the implementation of recommendations on cancer screening (Third EU Cancer Screening Report).
The first meeting, held in France earlier this month, brought together specialists from the IARC, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, the Joint Research Centre, clinical networks, and national screening programme representatives from 33 countries across Europe.
Participants were introduced to the objectives, structure, and expected outputs of the upcoming report, including its integration within the European Cancer Information System (ECIS). The CanScreen-ECIS pilot project was also presented as a key component preparing countries for harmonised data reporting.
Experts presented recent findings from the survey of cancer screening programmes in EU Member States, covering breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, prostate, and gastric cancer.
Discussions focused on progress made across countries, ongoing challenges in programme implementation, and the importance of developing consistent indicators to support reliable comparisons across the EU. The workshop concluded with
agreement on the refinement of indicators.
The fifth edition of the European Code Against Cancer is now available in all official European Union (EU) languages at https://cancer-code-europe.iarc.who.int/
Cancer continues to place a large and growing burden on individuals, health systems, and society. An estimated 1.3 million lives were lost due to cancer in the EU in 2022. Without action, new cancer diagnoses are projected to increase by about 18 per cent and cancer deaths by 26 per cent by 2040,.
Recent estimates indicate that the overall costs of cancer in the EU amount to more than €93 billion annually.
