Cancer: the 2026-2030 roadmap strengthens prevention, screening and the fight against tobacco

The second roadmap of the Ten-Year Strategy for the Fight Against Cancer[1] sets the course for public policies for 2026-2030 with an investment of more than 1.7 billion euros over five years. Simplified and refocused, it reduces the number of actions from 237 to 107 and is structured around five priorities: prevention, screening, improvement of care pathways, consolidation of the public cancer service and increased mobilization of research and data.

Faced with a still worrying epidemiological situation, with more than 433,000 new cases and 164,000 cancer deaths each year in France, the strategy aims to reduce avoidable risk factors, improve early detection, and limit inequalities in access to care. The fight against smoking remains a key component of the plan, with the goal of achieving a tobacco-free generation in the coming years.

Structured prevention from a young age to reduce avoidable cancers

The 2026-2030 roadmap places primary prevention at the heart of public policy, based on the observation that a substantial portion of the cancer burden remains preventable. Nearly half of all cancers could be prevented by reducing exposure to the main risk factors (tobacco, alcohol, unbalanced diet, sedentary lifestyle, overweight, oncogenic infections, and environmental or occupational exposures). It therefore prioritizes early prevention, particularly targeting children, adolescents, and young adults. The ambition is to build a continuum of educational and health initiatives involving schools, local communities, healthcare professionals, and families in order to establish lasting healthy habits.

Several indicators illustrate the progress already observed, but also the room for improvement. Daily smoking has decreased in recent years, affecting 18% of adults in 2024 compared to 25% in 2021 and nearly 30% in 2016. Daily alcohol consumption is also declining. Vaccination coverage against human papillomavirus is improving, with 54% of girls and 43% of boys born in 2012 having received a first dose by 2025, but the national target is now set at 80% by 2030. Furthermore, despite the decreases recorded in prevalence rates, these rates remain considerable.

Beyond individual behaviors, the roadmap emphasizes the importance of addressing the structural determinants of health. Local authorities are encouraged to integrate cancer prevention into their planning, environmental, and education policies, in order to also reduce exposure to pollutants, ultraviolet radiation, and other environmental hazards. Prevention thus becomes a shared responsibility, extending beyond the health sector alone to encompass all public policies.

Screening and care pathways: increasing participation and streamlining access to diagnosis

Despite the demonstrated benefits, participation in organized screening programs remains insufficient. Current rates reach 46.3 per 1,000,000 live births (1/3,000) for breast cancer, 29.6 per 1,000,000 live births (1/3,000), and 60.9 per 1,000,000 live births (1/3,000), respectively, well below the national targets of 70 per 1, 65 per 1,000, and 70 per 1,000,000, respectively. To address these limitations, the strategy aims to diversify the methods of inviting and accessing screening. The objective is to increase the number of entry points into the prevention system by making greater use of primary care physicians, pharmacies, mobile units, and outreach programs, in order to prioritize reaching populations with limited access to healthcare or living in underserved areas.

Personalization is another key element. The roadmap encourages a better understanding of individual risk, whether genetic, environmental, or behavioral, in order to guide people toward more tailored screening pathways. Strengthening oncogenetics, identifying individuals at high risk, and progressively integrating technological innovations (artificial intelligence in imaging, biomarkers, multi-cancer early detection tests) aim to increase the relevance and effectiveness of detection strategies. Furthermore, a pilot program is preparing the groundwork for organized lung cancer screening, a cancer still associated with a poor prognosis, with a view to nationwide rollout by 2030.

Beyond screening, improving the patient journey is a central focus. The plan includes faster access to diagnosis, the structuring of accelerated pathways for entry into care, the development of home hospitalization, and enhanced support for long-term effects. This evolution is all the more necessary given that nearly two-thirds of patients still report long-term effects five years after diagnosis, and that four million people are currently living with or have had cancer.

The fight against tobacco: a key lever for sustainably reducing the incidence of cancer

Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable cancers in France, with approximately 68,000 new cases attributable to this risk factor each year. Despite the recent decline in prevalence, nearly one in five adults continues to smoke, maintaining high levels of morbidity and mortality.

The roadmap calls for the renewal of the National Tobacco Control Program starting in 2027, with an explicit focus on helping younger generations quit smoking. Among the options under consideration are examining measures to gradually ban the sale of tobacco products to those born from 2014 onwards, as well as systematically strengthening smoking cessation support. Support services for quitting should be expanded to new public outreach locations, such as maternal and child health centers and health screening centers. Access to nicotine replacement therapies could also be made easier for minors.

This approach is part of a clear political objective: to achieve a first tobacco-free generation by the early 2030s, a crucial condition for structurally reducing the incidence of preventable cancers and social inequalities in health.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] Press release, The 2026-2030 roadmap: 5 years, 5 priorities, 5 public, INCA, published on February 4, 2026, accessed on February 12, 2026