The 5th European Code Against Cancer (ECAC5)

Project name: The 5th European Code Against Cancer (ECAC5) 

PI name: Coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is a division of the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Research team: A consortium of researchers located in Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Ireland’s representative: Prof Quentin Crowley. 

Funders: Funded by the European Union from the EU4Health programme under Grant Agreement No. 101075240. 

Project dates:  July 2022 – June 2026 

Summary: The European Code Against Cancer, 5th edition (ECAC5) consists of 14 recommendations based on current scientific evidence on personal behavioural factors, environmental factors, and medical interventions, specific to the general population in the EU. For the first time, ECAC5 is aimed not only at individuals but also at policy-makers, including 14 complementary recommendations on population-level measures that may reinforce the recommendations for individuals. These recommendations provide co-benefits to prevent other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) with similar underlying risk factors, and opportunities for health promotion. Together, the ECAC5 recommendations provide a roadmap to reduce cancer risk, tackle misconceptions about cancer, and improve public health and well-being.  

The project has produced a revised and updated European Code against Cancer (5th edition) with: 

• Level 1: recommendations to individuals and policymakers, 

• Level 2: supporting material on the Code and putting the recommendations into context, 

• Level 3: scientific justification for the Code, published in scientific literature.  

The Code is developed in English, with Levels 1-2 translated into all EU languages. Outputs from the ECAC5 project can be found on the IARC website here. 

Image caption: ECAC5 infographic.