Cancer Prevention Across Europe –  PrEvCan Campaign

How it all began

The PrEvCan campaign was initiated and led by the European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS) with the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) as key campaign partner and the support of more than 60 other international and national organisations across Europe. Download full list of PrEvCan supporting partners.

PrEvCan launched at the opening of the ESMO Congress in Paris, in September 2022. The campaign was based on the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC) which sets out 12 recommendations ranging from physical activity and dietary guidelines all the way to tobacco use and second-hand smoke. 

Resources in every European language

Each month was dedicated to promoting one of the ECAC recommendations and highlighting the scientific evidence supporting it, with the dual objective of increasing awareness of how to prevent cancer among the general public and of providing healthcare professionals, with a more comprehensive toolkit for communicating the importance of cancer prevention effectively. The resource toolkit for each month is still available to download below from this page in a huge range of languages. Here you can also find a wide variety of videos on prevention themes.

The campaign’s reach

Throughout the year, participants were encouraged to share what they were doing to support the PrEvCan campaign – post photos and short videos on social media, tagging: #PrEvCan #CANCERCODE The campaign messages spread far and wide! 

Thousands of people across Europe visited this campaign page, downloaded the toolkits, viewed the videos and pushed the campaign messages to the key audiences in their country.

The campaign evaluation and legacy

The comprehensive evaluation of the PrEvCan campaign, assessing its impact across Europe, has been completed. Insights and detailed reports from participants, including noteworthy contributions from Estonia, Finland, and Greece, are now available on the campaign's dedicated webpage.

The Position Statement, developed after extensive consultations and launched on World Cancer Day, February 4, 2024, outlines strategies to enhance cancer control and reduce disparities in healthcare systems across Europe. It is endorsed by key cancer workforce organisations.

Lena Sharp, PrEvCan lead, reflects on the campaign: 

"This is not the end but a new beginning for Europe's commitment to cancer prevention, aiming to reduce the cancer burden for everyone."