Early detection of cancer in the German National Cancer Plan. Health policy and legal regulations

The "Law on the Further Development of the Early Detection of Cancer and Quality Assurance Through Clinical Cancer Registries" implements key recommendations of the German National Cancer Plan. The central objectives of the law are to improve the access, effectiveness, and quality of the existing cancer screening programs. It creates the necessary legal framework to turn the current opportunistic cervical cancer screening and colorectal cancer screening into population-based quality assured programs in accordance with the European guidelines for quality assurance in cancer screening. Each person in the eligible target population will receive a personal invitation letter with a view to increase the take-up rate of the screening program. Furthermore, there will be comprehensive quality assurance measures and evaluation activities. The law also stipulates that cancer registry data must be used for quality assurance purposes and the monitoring of the cancer screening programs. Special emphasis is put on the provision of balanced and unbiased information on the potential benefits and harms of the screening program. This is to ensure that the decision for or against participating in a screening program is based on an informed choice. Thus, German health policy is taking a clear stance against pushing take-up rates uncritically. This position is a paradigm shift of fundamental importance. The Federal Joint Committee - the highest decision-making body of the so-called joint self-government of physicians, dentists, hospitals, and statutory health insurance funds in Germany - is responsible for defining explicitly the details of the screening programs within 3 years.