Ahead of World Cancer Day on Wednesday 4 February 2026, Luxembourg’s Ministry of Health and Social Security has released the latest report from the National Cancer Registry (RNC).
According to the ministry, data from the latest RNC report shows that, of the 23,660 new cancer cases diagnosed between 2014 and 2021 (an average of 3,000 new cases per year), 50% concerned screenable cancers, primarily breast, colon or lung cancer. The ministry noted that these figures highlighted the importance of regular participation in screening programmes, which allow the disease to be detected at an early stage.
Currently, there are two national organised screening programmes: breast cancer screening and colorectal cancer screening. These programmes operate through an invitation system sent directly to eligible individuals affiliated with Luxembourg’s social security system. Since 2024, the target age groups have been expanded to cover individuals aged 45 to 74. These schemes guarantee free examinations, conducted according to strict quality criteria, and aim to encourage regular participation among the population concerned.
In 2025, 51,920 women were invited to the mammography programme and 24,183 actually participated, resulting in 22,111 normal screenings and 2,072 abnormal screenings requiring further examination. Similarly, 91,350 individuals were invited to the organised colorectal cancer screening programme (PDOCCR), and 31,725 undertook a faecal immunochemical test (FIT), with 30,259 tests negative and 1,466 positive, requiring further examination.
The ministry highlighted that invitations for both programmes are valid for two years. In the event of a lost invitation letter, it is possible to contact the screening programme coordination centre by telephone or email to request a new invitation. Communications and documents are available in five languages (Luxembourgish, French, German, English and Portuguese) to facilitate access to information for the entire population.
In this context, the ministry also highlighted the LLUMINAS project (Latvia and Luxembourg Improving Cancer Screening), a major initiative aimed at auditing cancer screening programmes in Luxembourg. Launched in 2025 for a duration of two years and funded by the European Union, the project seeks to improve the effectiveness of and participation in the current organised screening programmes for breast and colorectal cancer.
The full RNC report can be found at https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/fr/publications/reports/2025/02/eu-country-cancer-profile-luxembourg-2025_814b714e/ed029eff-fr.pdf
