Breast cancer screening in Europe and the role of general practitioners : a 32-country comparative survey

Papageorgiou, Dimitra Iosifina (author), Petek Šter, Marija (author), Zafirovska, Marija (author)

Introduction: Breast cancer is the commonest cancer in women, and screening can allow earlier-stage diagnosis. While there are European recommendations on the age-range and frequency of breast cancer screening, participation in these programmes varies substantially, and this could be due to differences in how they are organised and implemented. The role that primary healthcare professionals play in the process is unclear.We aimed to describe the breast cancer screening programmes in European countries and investigate how primary healthcare professionals are involved in this screening process. Methods: A cross-sectional survey in 32 countries. Key informants with relevant expertise answered online questions about the characteristics of their screening programmes and general practitioners' (GPs') roles in this. Responses were refined through an iterative consensus process. Data were examined to identify patterns in GP engagement. Results: We found important differences between European breast cancer screening systems. While most had population-based screening, four countries relied on opportunistic screening. In 15 countries GPs had little or no involvement in the process of breast cancer screening, and in 13 countries GPs had some involvement, including identifying eligible patients, issuing referrals, and following-up results. Screening uptake rates tended to be higher in countries with well-established population-based screening programmes which give little or no GP involvement. Few countries linked GP engagement to incentives or performance measures. Conclusion: Countries with lower screening uptake should consider either enhancing GP involvement or transitioning to a structured, population-based screening system. Further research should explore how best to integrate primary care within national screening strategies.

• Language: English
• Keywords: breast cancer screening, general practice, primary health care, early diagnosis, European region
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 19 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 32, iss. 1, art. 2689646
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-185029
• UDC: 614
• ISSN on article: 1751-1402
• DOI: 10.1080/13814788.2026.2689646
• COBISS.SI-ID: 285352963
• Publication date in RUL: 21.07.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: The European journal of general practice
• Shortened title: Eur. j. gen. pract.
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1751-1402
• COBISS.SI-ID: 521686809

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: presejanje za raka dojk, splošna praksa, primarna zdravstvena oskrba, zgodnja diagnoza, Evropska regija

Projects

• Funder: EGPRN - European General Practice Research Network