Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-11-18-Speech-2-252"
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"en.20031118.8.2-252"2
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"Mr President, I would like to start by thanking Karin Jöns for her work in this area. Karin recently visited Scotland to talk to the Eastwood constituency Labour party's cancer care group. They became interested in cancer care issues when one of their members died from cancer. They saw at first hand what cancer can do to someone they know and care for, but, most importantly, they decided to take action to improve the care cancer patients receive in their local community.
Everyone knows somebody, either directly or indirectly, who has been or is being affected by cancer. One in four Europeans will die of cancer. Among men, lung and stomach cancer are the most common cancers worldwide, and for women the most common cancers are breast and cervical cancers.
If we are going to tackle one of the biggest causes of death in the EU and the world, cancer screening is a critical tool in our battle against the disease. According to the World Health Organisation, we know enough about the causes of cancer to prevent at least one third of all cancers, cancers that are largely preventable by stopping smoking, eating healthy food and avoiding exposure to carcinogens. For those who are affected, detection is critical and screening is essential. The earlier cancer is detected, the better the survival rate.
The proposal to have mammography screening for breast cancer for women aged 50 to 69, faecal occult blood screening for colorectal cancer in men and women aged 50 to 74 and pap smear tests for cervical abnormalities between the ages of 20 and 30 are steps in the right direction in securing the health of Europeans and they should be welcomed.
As Amendment 33 suggests, we need to look at the promising new screening tests currently under evaluation, especially the HPV test and a test for prostate cancer, as well as considering mammography screening for women aged 40 to 49.
We must rely on clinical evidence and evaluation to back up recommendations for the acceptance of new tests. Sadly, although I am supportive of HPV tests, I cannot support Amendment 34. As soon as the tests are complete, I look forward to us recommending the full inclusion of this process in screening tests. However, screening cannot be seen in isolation. Cancer networks and cancer registries are also vital in monitoring the impact of screening the population and changes in incidence and survival and mortality.
Public education and information are essential. If you look on the Internet and type the word cancer, you will get 18 600 000 hits. E-health and communication are essential in the world that we live in.
In conclusion, the recommendation before us today will help us in the battle against cancer. Too many people in Scotland, Britain, the EU and the world, die from this disease. We must do all we can to detect, treat and care for people with cancer."@en1
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