Success for fight against breast cancer at European Parliament - Liz Lynne

11.31.58am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 22nd Apr 2010

Liz Lynne MEP supporting Breast Cancer campaigners with Elspeth Attwooll in the European Parliament.

Lib Dem Euro MP Liz Lynne and breast cancer campaigners are celebrating after the European Parliament formally adopted Liz Lynne's written declaration calling for renewed action in the fight against breast cancer.

Liz Lynne and three other MEPs from different parties launched the Declaration calling for a sustained Europe-wide campaign to beat breast cancer by implementing EU breast cancer guidelines. The disease kills nearly 90,000 women in the European Union every year, including 12,000 women in the UK annually according to the latest figures.

But many leading charities believe lives could be saved if EU guidelines are implemented effectively. These call for nationwide breast screening, multidisciplinary specialist breast units in each Member State and for the development of national cancer registers. Liz's declaration also calls for the European Commission to support studies to look at whether screening is useful for women over 69 years of age and under 50;

It has now been signed up to by 369 MEPs, a majority of the Parliament,

Liz Lynne said: "This is fantastic news for the campaign against this killer disease.

"Its shocking that over 331,00 women were diagnosed with breast cancer across the EU, over 45,000 in the UK, according to the most recent yearly figures, which shows how far we still have to go.

"Some countries, including the UK, have made progress in some areas, but the EU guidelines are one of the best ways to raise standards across the board, at the moment the disparities in screening, diagnosis and morbidity between EU countries is frightening.

According to the European Commission, some 32,000 European deaths from breast cancer could be prevented annually if these guidelines were implemented effectively across the EU.

"Mandatory screening is one of the most important ways to reduce deaths which is why it's important best practice in this area is shared and for us to look into whether this may be beneficial for older women than the current EU guidelines specify"

"We also need to make sure multidisciplinary specialist breast care units are in place in line with EU guidelines by 2016 and one way to achieve this is for the European Commission to develop and fund a certification scheme to accredit specialist units to agreed standards by 2011.

"National cancer registers in every EU country would also be a great step forward."

ENDS

Notes:

Now that the declaration has reached the required majority of signatures it will be sent to the European Commission, The European Council of Ministers and National Parliaments in the European Union.

Liz Lynne MEP is Co- Chair of the MEPs against Cancer interest in the European Parliament.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. 45,882 people were diagnosed with cancer across the UK in 2006, the latest available figures. In 2007, over 12,000 women died due to breast cancer.

In Europe , breast cancer still claims the lives of more women than any other cancer. According to WHO, at least one third of all cancer cases are preventable. Excess body weight and physical inactivity are known risk factors that account for 25-33 percent of breast cancer cases.