News

21 October 2025
Launch of the European Code Against Cancer, 5th edition (ECAC5)
The 5th edition of the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC5) was launched on Sunday 19 October 2025 at the international congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO 2025), which took place in Berlin, Germany, on 17–21 October 2025.

During the session, Dr Carolina Espina, a scientist in the Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch (ENV) at IARC and the co-Principal Investigator of the ECAC5, presented the new edition of the European Code Against Cancer. Dr Joachim Schüz, Head of ENV at IARC and the other co-Principal Investigator of the ECAC5, explained the role of the ECAC5 in cancer prevention to the scientific and oncology communities. Dr Philippe Roux, Head of the Cancer and Health in all Policies Unit at the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Union (EU), presented on the implications of the ECAC5 for prevention strategies.

Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, Director of IARC, contributed with a presentation on “The future of cancer prevention” and co-chaired the session with Dr Tanja Spanic, President of the European Breast Cancer Coalition (Europa Donna), who presented on “The patience advocacy dimension”.

The ECAC5 is available to view in English on a new dedicated website. It is currently being translated into all official languages of the EU and will be officially launched for World Cancer Day 2026 and presented to all EU citizens.
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5 August 2025
Key publication on the methodology of the World Code Against Cancer Framework to create region-specific codes
This publication describes the rigorous methodology established by IARC, consisting of a step-by-step decision-making algorithm to develop region-specific Codes Against Cancer. The Framework is a strategic two-level hierarchical mechanism to systematically translate the latest scientific insights into action through common methods and processes, and the regional implementation (Regional Codes Against Cancer) optimally captures and tailors the local aspects of cancer prevention into the global framework. Read the article

28 February 2025
Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer presented at the National Academy of Medicine of Mexico (videos in Spanish)
Several cancer prevention experts from Mexico who participated in the development of the first edition of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer – Dr Alejandro Mohar Betancourt, Dr Juan Ángel Rivera Dommarco, Dr Luz Myriam Reynales Shigematsu, Dr Lizbeth López Carrillo, Dr Eduardo Lazcano Ponce, and Dr Gabriela Torres Mejía – presented the Code at the National Academy of Medicine of Mexico. View the presentations 

9 December 2024
Pre-conference workshop at the 17th European Public Health Conference on the Systems Thinking methodology
On 12 November 2024, IARC organized a pre-conference workshop at the 17th European Public Health Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. The aim of the workshop was to build capacity on the Systems Thinking methodology, to enhance knowledge dissemination efforts to promote healthier behaviours and improve population health. The workshop had a strong practical component, using the European Code Against Cancer as a tool to understand the barriers and facilitators to disseminating evidence-based prevention information, and how to bridge the gaps. 
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9 December 2024
European Code Against Cancer, 5th edition (ECAC5) presented at the European Cancer Summit 2024
The European Code Against Cancer, 5th edition (ECAC5) project was featured at the annual European Cancer Summit 2024 during the plenary session on cancer prevention, early detection, and screening. Organized by the European Cancer Organisation, the event brought together more than 700 stakeholders from across the cancer community in Brussels, Belgium, and online on 20–21 November. The summit provided an excellent platform to engage with key stakeholders and lay the groundwork for the future dissemination of ECAC5.
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24 October 2024
Momentum builds for European Code Against Cancer, 5th edition (ECAC5) with second Executive Meeting, 22–24 October 2024
Over three intensive days, the European Code Against Cancer, 5th edition (ECAC5) Scientific Committee, Advocacy Group, and technical Working Group representatives gathered to review and debate the updated ECAC recommendations. Now that the recommendations for the general public have been approved, the project shifts to finalizing outputs and preparing translations in all European Union languages in anticipation of the launch in late 2025. Stay tuned for further updates in the coming months.
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18 October 2024
IARC and PAHO launch new e-learning programme for cancer prevention on the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer, 1st edition
The newly launched e-learning programme, hosted on the PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health, is the first comprehensive programme on cancer prevention designed specifically to build the capacity of primary health-care professionals in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is structured around the 17 recommendations of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer and is tailored to the specific context of the region in terms of risk factors, cancer incidence and mortality, health systems, and social inequalities.

It is a free, self-directed, and competency-based course that includes 40 hours of certified training on primary and secondary prevention of cancer. Initially, it is available in Spanish; the English and Portuguese versions will follow soon.
Read IARC News item

10 June 2024
Successful first Executive Meeting of the European Code Against Cancer, 5th edition (ECAC5) project, 12–14 March 2024
In a major stride towards the publication of the European Code Against Cancer, 5th edition (ECAC5), members of the Scientific Committee, the Advocacy Group, and the Working Groups of experts were convened for the first Executive Meeting of the ECAC5 project.

The agenda of the hybrid meeting included the first assessment of the draft ECAC5 recommendations and feedback from the Scientific Committee to the Working Groups, as well as a preliminary discussion of the future dissemination and evaluation plans.

Preparations are now under way for the second and final Executive Meeting, to take place in October 2024, at which the ECAC5 recommendations will be formally adopted.
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22 November 2023
Key publication on the path to a future Asian Code Against Cancer 
On 22 November 2023, the landmark publication “Mapping recommendations towards an Asian Code Against Cancer (ACAC) as part of the World Code Against Cancer Framework: an Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA) initiative” was published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia.
Read the article

21 November 2023
Paving the way towards a future Asian Code Against Cancer
The Asian National Cancer Centre Alliance (ANCCA) and IARC are collaborating towards a future Asian Code Against Cancer (ACAC):

• During September 2023, a virtual scoping meeting was held to discuss the initial work and ideas on the most important elements and novelties that are to be included in a future ACAC;
• On 2-3 November 2023, IARC was invited to present the World Code Against Cancer Framework at the 2nd ANCCA Annual Scientific Conference in Singapore.

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7 November 2023
Launch of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer featured in The Lancet Oncology
The official launch of the first edition of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer appears in the publication of The Lancet Oncology from 26 October 2023.
Read the article

17 October 2023
Launch of the first edition of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer
On October 17, 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) unveiled the first edition of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer (LAC Code). The launch was marked by dual events: an online broadcast co-hosted by IARC and PAHO, and an in-person presentation of the LAC Code at the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) World Cancer Leaders' Summit in Long Beach, California, USA.
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17 February 2023
Scoping Meeting for ECAC5 project held on 17 February 2023 and constitutive meeting of Scientific Committee held on 27 March 2023
The project to develop the 5th edition of the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC5) had a busy start. The project Scoping Meetings and the constitutive meeting of the Scientific Committee took place from December 2022 to March 2023. The Scoping Meeting brought together key stakeholders who play various important roles in the ECAC5 project, to discuss refinements to the methodology and target groups for the outputs of ECAC5. The Scientific Committee of ECAC5 was then formalized at its constitutive meeting, which was held online. The Scientific Committee consists of 13 representatives from leading institutes in 12 EU Member States, plus the World Health Organization.
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11 November 2022
2nd Executive meeting: Assessment and adoption of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer, 8–10 November, São Paulo (Brazil)
The 2nd Executive meeting of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer project was held on 8–10 November 2022 in São Paulo (Brazil). The project’s Scientific Committee met with the IARC/PAHO Secretariat and the Advocacy Group, to critically assess the scientific evidence and adopt the 1st edition of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer. Regional stakeholders were invited to the meeting to discuss and plan the dissemination and implementation of the Code in the region.
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20 October 2022
Part of the team of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer project meet at the World Cancer Congress in Geneva
During the World Cancer Congress 2022, held in Geneva (18–20 October), the IARC Secretariat met with Dr Eduardo Cazap (leader of the Advocacy Group of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer project) and Dr Mauricio Maza and Dr Sara Benitez (PAHO delegation) to plan the launch and dissemination of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer regionally and at country level. Stay tuned for the launch of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer on 4 February 2023, World Cancer Day!
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19 October 2022
Paving the way for a future Asian Code Against Cancer at the World Cancer Congress in Geneva
The World Cancer Congress 2022, held in Geneva (18–20 October), served as an opportunity to meet with key stakeholders from the Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA) to discuss the next steps towards an Asian Code (or Codes) Against Cancer, within the World Code Against Cancer Framework.
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18 October 2022
World Cancer Congress 2022. Digital session: World Code Against Cancer Framework
This session at the World Cancer Congress 2022 was selected to present the World Code Against Cancer Framework, an IARC-led global initiative to develop evidence-based cancer prevention recommendations (packaged as Regional Codes Against Cancer), under an umbrella framework and a standardized methodology. Dr Carolina Espina (leader of the initiative) interviewed experts from Europe (Dr Joachim Schüz, IARC), Latin America (Dr Eduardo Cazap, SLACOM-RINC), Asia (Dr Manami Inoue, NCC Japan), and Africa (Professor Vikash Sewram, Stellenbosch University) to discuss past, present, and future challenges and opportunities for Regional Codes Against Cancer.
Watch video

7 June 2022
1st Executive meeting: Assessment of the draft recommendations of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer, 30 May–1 June, São Paulo (Brazil)
The 1st Executive meeting of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer project was held from 30 May to 1 June 2022 in São Paulo (Brazil). The project’s Scientific Committee met with the IARC/PAHO Secretariat and the Advocacy Group, to critically assess the scientific evidence and proposed communication underlying the draft recommendations of the future Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer, which were proposed by the project’s five working groups, composed of regional experts on cancer epidemiology, cancer policies, and health communication.
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11 November 2021
Launch of second part of multilingual online learning programme on the latest evidence on cancer prevention
The second set of modules in the multilingual online learning programme on cancer prevention was launched on 11 November 2021 at the 14th European Public Health Conference. This 2-hour course consists of 12 self-paced modules that present the latest evidence and tackle some myths and controversies on primary and secondary prevention of cancer.
Watch the video

19 April 2021
Launch of first part of multilingual online learning programme on European Code Against Cancer 4th edition
The first multilingual online learning programme on the European Code Against Cancer 4th edition was launched on 19 April 2021 at the Cancer Prevention Europe 2021 Symposium. This 3-hour course consists of 13 self-paced modules on recommendations of the European Code Against Cancer 4th edition and the methodology used to develop it.
Watch the video