TOWARDS GASTRIC CANCER SCREENING IMPLEMENTATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

ongoing

No effective screening modality to prevent gastric cancer is available in Europe. Elimination of H.pylori bacteria is expected to decrease the mortality by 40%; another approach is early is detection of precancerous lesions for surveillance. The general objective of TOGAS is to provide the missing evidence-based knowledge to be further transferred to design plan and implement appropriate gastric cancer prevention across the EU. The results from this project will aide policy makers in incorporating gastric cancer screening into their healthcare priorities while balancing its effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability with long-term potential adverse effects. TOGAS has 3 specific objectives: 1) Assessment of state of play as well as the needs of MSs and target populations in gastric cancer prevention, including information on ‘opportunistic’ screening initiatives organised in public and private setting. 2) Assessment of the appropriateness of various gastric cancer-screening modalities for the use in the EU. 3) Assuring the sustainability of the results by an effective dissemination strategy and coordination of the methodology with the approaches used within the EU, including with the European Guidelines and Quality Assurance Schemes. TOGAS will involve three pilot studies, each designed to address specific aspects of gastric cancer screening and early detection. Cost effectiveness modelling and addressing medical ethics aspects will be an important integral part of the project. To disseminate widely project results TOGAS will organize three highly visible conferences inviting the key stakeholders and MS representatives as well as a high-level conference together with other cancer screening projects. The TOGAS consortium unites 18 partner and 3 associated partners representing higher educational institutions, research structures, clinics and wider CSO from 12 member states. Project length is 36 months. Overall budget is 11 337 063,10.