The commission for women’s rights, in adopting the report by Karin Jons, has proposed to make the fight against breast cancer a priority for the health policy of the EU and of member States. Prevention, screening, diagnosis, cure and post-therapeutic care must all be improved so as to guarantee maximum quality in this field throughout EU territory. In the year 2000, more than 216,000 women were diagnosed as suffering from this malady and more than 79,000 died from it. Breast cancer is the most frequent cause of death for women between the ages of 35 and 55. In Europe the highest concentration of sufferers is in western and northern regions, while the lowest rates are in the east and south. Women in western Europe have 60% more chance of contracting breast cancer than those in eastern Europe. According to the EU Parliament, the mortality rate associated with breast cancer must be reduced by 25% by the year 2008, and so it invites member States to offer breast screening every two years to women between the ages of 50 and at least 69, in keeping with European guidelines. Currently only eight of the fifteen member States have a national screening programme (Italy has regional programmes). Expressing their satisfaction that the sixth framework research programme has assigned 400 million euros to cancer research, the European parliamentarians also request that studies be made into the relationship between breast cancer and risk factors such as tobacco, diet, hormones and lifestyle.
