ECIR’s Country Cancer Profiles 2025: Spain’s Advances and Challenges in Early Detection

ECIR has published the “Country Cancer Profiles” series (available at https://cancer-inequalities.jrc.ec.europa.eu/country-cancer-profiles-2025). These reports provide the latest insights on cancer burden, prevention and care across European countries, including Spain, feautured today on the EUCanScreen Web.

The Spanish “Country Cancer Profile” in relation to early detection shows that Spain’s Nacional Control Plan aligns with EU recommendations, incorporating breast, cervical and colorectal cancer population-based screening programmes. For instance, breast cancer screening is available to all eligible women in Spain. However, regarding colorectal cancer screening programmes its implementation varies across regions: Specifically, the differences lie in the target population (in most regions the age range is between 50-59 years, but there is one region where it is 55-69 and two regions where it is 60-69) and in participation rates (ranging from 19% to 74% across different regions). Finally, cervical cancer screening in Spain transitioned from an opportunistic approach to a population-based programme in 2019. Spanish Regions have 10 years to achieve near-total coverage, enhancing early detection and prevention efforts nationwide.

In addition, the report highlights that participation rates in breast and cervical cancer screening have remained steady and stable over the past decade (estimated in 2020 at 74% and 68% respectively) and colorectal cancer screening participation has increased, but remains low (estimated in 2020 at 32%).

The Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community (Fisabio) has participated in the validation of the Spanish “Country Cancer Profile”, where Dr. Ana Molina Barceló, coordinator of the Cancer and Public Health Research Unit, is a Senior Expert of the report and its expertise focus on integrate the equity perspective in public health and in cancer prevention.

Fisabio is a non-profit scientific organization, whose primary purpose is to promote, favor, disseminate, develop and execute scientific-technical research and health and biomedical innovation in the area of ​​the Valencian Community. Specifically, Fisabio-Cancer and Public Health Research Unit is a multidisciplinary group specialized in cancer prevention research with a clear translational focus. The group is participating in the work packages 5 and 10 of EUCanScreen Joint Action. The area deepens scientific knowledge on cancer determinants, cancer early detection strategies, policy design and cancer equity in the field of public health.