Tools available to measure awareness of the European Code Against Cancer in the European Union

Abstract

Abstract Adopted on 3rd February 2021, Europe's Beating Cancer Plan aims to reduce the cancer burden for patients, their families and health systems, and is a major strategic priority of the European Commission in its present mandate. The Cancer Plan commits to updating the European Code Against Cancer and includes the objective of making “at least 80% of the population aware of the Code by 2025”. In order to measure progress towards and attainment of this goal, metrics and tools at European level would be needed. Possible options include, but are not limited to, the “Eurobarometer”. Since 1973, the European institutions commission regular public opinion surveys in all EU Member States. The European Commission's Eurobarometer Surveys is a series of multi-topic, pan-European surveys covering attitudes towards policies, economy, and health, among other topics. It comprises survey series or instruments such as the Standard Eurobarometer (regular face-to-face interviews with approximately 1,000 subjects in each Member State), the Special Eurobarometer (in-depth thematic studies relevant to the activities of the European institutions) or the Flash Eurobarometer (ad-hoc thematic surveys carried out within a short timespan), among others. Some of these options may provide a suitable tool to standardize and measure awareness and perceptions on cancer risk factors in a valid and reliable way, as well as the corresponding cancer preventive measures, and the European Code against Cancer itself, in the European population overtime. However, developments arising from the Cancer Plan, such as the recently established Knowledge Centre for Cancer of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, may offer more a suitable, continuous process. This brief presentation will prepare the audience for an interactive discussion on the pragmatic challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the monitoring and evaluation of the European Code against Cancer.