A Consensus-Based Framework Developed Within WP9

We are pleased to announce the publication of a new EUCanScreen paper in the European Journal of Cancer (EJC), presenting the conceptual framework for risk-stratified cancer screening developed within WP9.

This publication represents a major achievement for EUCanScreen, bringing together the work of a multidisciplinary group of experts from 22 European countries who have collaborated over the past 18 months to develop a shared approach to risk stratification in cancer screening.

As risk-based approaches are gaining increasing importance across Europe, the document provides a common conceptual foundation to support the future development, implementation, and evaluation of risk-stratified screening programmes. The framework was developed through an extensive consensus-building process, which included a literature review, expert consultations, Delphi surveys, and plenary discussions within the Joint Action.

The publication identifies the essential components of risk-stratified screening: the availability of validated individual risk information, the definition of risk stratification criteria, and the implementation of evidence-based management protocols tailored to different risk groups.

The framework also highlights how risk stratification can be integrated throughout the screening pathway — from eligibility and screening intervals to referral and follow-up procedures — while addressing important organisational, ethical, legal, and social aspects.

By providing a common conceptual basis, the framework supports the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of future risk-stratified cancer screening programmes across Europe.

Links

Risk-stratified cancer screening: A consensus-based conceptual framework from EUCanScreen.

European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990), 240, 116746. Advance online publication. 

Authors 

Paolo Giorgi Rossi, Carlo Senore, Livia Giordano, Lucie Veron, Tala Haddad, Andrea Guida, Massimo Vicentini, Francesca Leoni, Laura Bonvicini, Cinzia Colombo, Paola Armaroli, Francesco Venturelli, Gianluigi Ferrante, Cristiano Piccinelli, Elisa Betti, Gabrielle Schittecatte, Béatrice Fervers, Yelena Tarasenko, Cinzia Campari, Silvia Deandrea, Andrea Buron, Cristina Barrufet, Nataša Antoljak, Anneza Yiallourou, Erika Korobeinikova, Itziar Gardeazabal, Carlos López López, Uwe Siebert, Marcello Di Pumpo, Maria Isabel Portillo Villares, Gaby Sroczynski, Beate Jahn, Trude Andreassen, Suzette Delaloge, Paola Mantellini