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EU-TOPIA-EAST: TOwards imProved screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer in Eastern-Europe: Equitable, Actionable, Sustainable and Trustworthy

Montenegro, Georgia, Romania

Each year in Europe, more than 250,000 people die from colorectal, breast and cervical cancer. To prevent deaths, most countries in Europe have screening programmes for these three cancers.

Project contact

  • Professor Harry de Koning

Background

However, in eastern European countries these programmes are often organised differently. Instead of inviting all men and women to screening, people themselves have to make an appointment. This leads to less people screened, especially in groups having less knowledge of health. Also, since the programmes are often not organised nationally, it is difficult to evaluate the quality.

Aims

EU-TOPIA-EAST aims to improve the screening programmes in three eastern European countries: Georgia (breast), Romania (cervix) and Montenegro (colorectal).

Project plan

We will first use previously developed methods and models to evaluate the current state of the programme, the data that are collected and the barriers that prevent optimal performance of the programme. This will be translated into action plans for the three countries for feasible changes to current screening programs.

Next, we will implement these action plans: e.g. in Georgia, we will increase coverage of the programme by establishing a new screening unit; in Romania, we will develop new IT systems to allow inviting all women to cervical cancer screening; and finally in Montenegro we will establish a new colonoscopy center to increase programme capacity decrease travel time for participants.

In the final stage of the project, we will invite all people and organisations involved in the screening process to discuss plans to continue with the improvements. Also, we will share our experience to other eastern European countries and the Mediterranean in two workshops. Therefore, the project will lead to reduced inequity between EU regions, reduced number of cancer deaths and increased life years gained.

Publications and output

You can also visit the EU-TOPIA project website for more information.

Principal investigators

  • Harry de Koning Erasmus University Medical Center, Netherlands

Team members

  • Marjolein van Ballegooijen Erasmus University Medical Center, Netherlands

  • Iris Lansdorp-Vogelaar Erasmus University Medical Center, Netherlands

  • Nicolien van Ravesteyn Erasmus University Medical Center, Netherlands

  • Eveline Heijnsdijk Erasmus University Medical Center, Netherlands

  • Nadine Zielonke Erasmus University Medical Center, Netherlands

  • Erik Jansen Erasmus University Medical Center, Netherlands

  • Andrea Gini Erasmus University Medical Center, Netherlands

  • Piret Veerus National Institute for Health Development, Estonia

  • Tiina Mändla National Institute for Health Development, Estonia

  • Zoltán Vokó Syreon Research Institute, Hungary

  • János G. Pitter Syreon Research Institute, Hungary

  • Marcell Csanádi Syreon Research Institute, Hungary

  • Maja Primic Žakelj Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Slovenia

  • Urška Ivanuš Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Slovenia

  • Katja Jarm Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Slovenia

  • Dominika Novak Mlakar Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Slovenia

  • Martin McKee LSHTM, United Kingdom

  • Jennifer Priaulx LSHTM, United Kingdom

  • Ahti Anttila Finnish Cancer Registry, Finland

  • Nea Malila Finnish Cancer Registry, Finland

  • Tytti Sarkeala Finnish Cancer Registry, Finland

  • Sirpa Heinävaara Finnish Cancer Registry, Finland

  • Ilona Siljander Finnish Cancer Registry, Finland

  • Maiju Pankakoski Finnish Cancer Registry, Finland

  • Carlo Senore AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino,, Italy

  • Nereo Segnan AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino,, Italy

Funding organisations

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