Let’s Build Synergies, Together.

4PCAN

4PCAN

4PCAN aims to improve cancer prevention by addressing major modifiable risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, excess body weight, preventable infections, and environmental pollution. Over four years, the project will explore cancer risk at the national, community, and individual levels, using a combination of implementation research, social and behavioral sciences, and advanced technology. Key objectives include developing a personalized cancer risk algorithm tailored to Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, establishing two Living Labs to co-create innovative prevention measures, and providing policy recommendations to reduce health inequalities.

CAN.HEAL

Building the EU Cancer and Public Health Genomics platform

The Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP) is set out to tackle the entire disease pathway of cancer – from prevention to quality of life of cancer patients and survivors – with the aim to improve prevention, early detection, access to diagnosis and treatment.

The CAN.HEAL consortium will address two of the EBCP’s initiatives: ‘Cancer Diagnostic and Treatment for All’ and ‘Genomics for Public Health’. Genomics has become increasingly relevant in cancer medicine. Next-generation sequencing technologies and analytical approaches are now being introduced into the clinic with a multitude of clinical applications, ranging from identifying individual targetable genetic alterations to monitoring treatment response.  Within the Can.Heal consortium organisations from 17 EU countries will jointly build on ongoing study to promote the application of genomics to improve diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients as well as to improve our understanding of the individual susceptibility to develop a certain type of cancer. Ethical and legal issues will be addressed and efforts will be done for training and education to raise awareness for the importance of genomics in health professionals, patients and the public.

The final goal of the project is to establish recommendations for initiatives into the EU health system that will further improve the access of individuals and patients to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through personalised medicine.

eCAN

The eCAN Joint Action aims to enhance cancer prevention and care in the EU by integrating telemedicine and remote monitoring into healthcare systems, addressing care inequalities, especially during health crises like COVID-19. With over 2.7 million new cancer cases diagnosed annually and cases expected to rise by 25% by 2035, eCAN focuses on improving crisis response, developing interoperable telemedicine solutions, enhancing the digital skills of healthcare professionals and patients, and promoting cross-border cooperation. Running from 2022 to 2024 with a €5M budget, the project involves 35 organisations from 16 countries and is funded by the EU4Health Programme (2021–2027).

ERA4Health

ERA4Health Partnership

The EU-funded ERA4Health Partnership brings together 33 partners and 27 funding organisations from 22 countries, with the common goal of fostering high-impact translational research for addressing public health needs. Through cross-national joint calls for proposals, other cross-cutting activities and an optimal use of and making the most of interregional and international cooperation, ERA4Health aims to provide influential contributions as well as a sustainable model of funding for ground-breaking translational research in the health domain across Europe and beyond.

EUCanScreen

The aim of EUCanScreen EU-wide project is to sustainably optimize cancer prevention – especially access to and the implementation of screening programs. Subsection 6.5, led by the DKG, is concerned with improving cancer screening programs for people with intellectual disabilities. They are far more likely to receive a diagnosis at a late stage compared to people without disabilities. Reasons for this can include communication difficulties, various barriers to healthcare and not taking advantage of screening services. It is therefore necessary to establish a cancer prevention program geared towards the needs of people with intellectual disabilities. The aim of the project is to generate best practice recommendations through research and qualitative interviews in order to develop cancer prevention programs tailored to people with disabilities.

EUonQol

Quality of Life in Oncology

The improvement and preservation of quality of life (QoL) is one of the three pillars of the EC Mission on Cancer. When devising clinical, societal, and healthcare policymaking systems, it is important to evaluate their impact on the quality of life of people with past or current cancer experience. The EUonQoL project is instrumental to the progress of the EU initiatives against cancer, with the specific aim of developing, piloting, validating, and exploiting the European Oncology Quality of Life toolkit (EUonQoL-Kit) ), a patient-centred unified questionnaire for the assessment of quality of life among among European cancer patients and survivors. The EUonQoL-Kit will be developed from a patient perspective, administered digitally, available in the EU27 and Associated countries languages, and applicable in future, periodic surveys to contribute to the EU’s Cancer Mission through the identification of QoL inequalities and the impact of EU policy interventions.

MyPath

MyPath is an EU-funded project developing an innovative digital solution to deliver personalised, patient-centred cancer care. With nearly 50% of the European population expected to develop cancer in their lifetime, MyPath aims to improve care by enabling real-time communication of symptoms and care preferences, creating tailored care pathways, and actively involving patients in shared decision-making. The project focuses on enhancing individual needs and improving quality of life through customised treatments and improved patient engagement. Funded by the European Union (grant no. 101057514) and supported by Innovate UK and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), MyPath seeks to transform cancer care by ensuring patients receive the best possible support.

OAC

Outdoor Against Cancer (OAC): Health Unites Us

OAC is an internationally active NGO dedicated to health education and disease prevention. Originally focused on cancer, OAC now addresses all non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through its four key pillars: Physical Activity & Outdoor Sports, Balanced Nutrition, Sustainability & Nature, and Physical & Mental Well-Being.

Engaged in EU co-funded projects and international health policy, OAC bridges theory and practice, making knowledge accessible across all age groups and backgrounds. Collaborating with global partners, OAC ensures health education is scalable and inclusive.

With expertise in networking, digital innovation, and stakeholder collaboration, OAC expands its reach across Europe and beyond, including initiatives in Morocco, Turkey, South Africa, Bosnia Herzegovina, the U.S., and India. In Germany, OAC is recognized by the National Decade Against Cancer, backed by the Ministry of Education and Research.

OACCUs

Outdoor Against Cancer Connects Us

The Outdoor Against Cancer Connects Us (OACCUs) project was launched in June 2022 in Stockholm, Sweden, and concluded in June 2024, involving 13 partners from six EU countries (Sweden, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece). Funded by the European Commission’s EU4Health program, OACCUs aimed to improve the quality of life for young cancer survivors by promoting healthy lifestyles and building a European network to support them physically and mentally. The project encouraged outdoor activities, psychoeducation, healthy eating, and sustainable living. It also aimed to train survivors and their families as ambassadors and coaches in each participating country, fostering a long-term, sustainable network. Key outcomes include the creation of a youth network, the development of the OACCUs Network Toolbox, and the promotion of a healthy future for cancer survivors.

ONCODIR

ONCODIR: Evidence-based Participatory Decision Making for Cancer Prevention through implementation

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 3rd most common type of cancer worldwide, and its occurrence is increasing, especially in populations with lower socioeconomic status, due to unhealthy dietary habits and lifestyle among others. The research project ‘ONCODIR: Evidence-based Participatory Decision Making for Cancer Prevention through implementation’ will identify risk factors associated with colorectal cancer and will integrate multidisciplinary research methods and technologies (including health policy analytics, artificial intelligence, and decision support theories) to deliver evidence-based and personalised recommendations on colorectal cancer prevention.

PROPHET

A Personalized Prevention Roadmap for the future Healthcare

Lead by the Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore (Roma, Italy), PROPHET project involves 18 partners from 12 different EU Member States plus UK and a large number of stakeholders already engaged from different target groups. This EU funded project will develop a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for Personalized Prevention, in order to support the implementation of innovative, sustainable and effective personalized programmmes to prevent common chronic diseases. PROPHET will be centered around stakeholder engagement and the SRIA co-creation process in relation to three main strands of activities: Mapping, Assessment, and Building. The project started in September 2022 and will run until August 2026. Stefania Boccia, Professor of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is the coordinator of this project.

THCS

European Partnership on transforming health and care systems

The European Partnership on transforming health and care systems (THCS) is a Cofund action under the Horizon Europe Programme  designed to support coordinated national and regional research and innovation programmes along with capacity building, networking , dissemination and other key activities to support health and care systems transformation. THCS core activity is the fund of research and innovation projects through joint transnational calls involving a large number of Research and Innovation Funding Organisations on common priorities and topics.

TOGAS

Gastric cancer remains a significant public health challenge in Europe, with no standardized screening method currently in place. The TOGAS project aims to address this gap by developing innovative approaches for screening and early detection.  Through a comprehensive assessment of existing initiatives, TOGAS will evaluate the needs of EU Member States and assess the suitability of different screening methods for broader implementation. The project will also ensure the sustainability of its findings by aligning with European guidelines and quality assurance frameworks.  Spanning 14 European countries and running from March 2023 to February 2026, TOGAS will conduct three pilot studies focusing on key aspects of gastric cancer screening. With a strong emphasis on cost-effectiveness and medical ethics, the project seeks to establish evidence-based recommendations for future EU-wide screening programs, ultimately aiming to reduce gastric cancer mortality.

WECAN

Workgroup of European Cancer Patient Advocacy Networks

WECAN is the network of more than 20 pan-European cancer patient umbrella organisations which have thousands of cancer patient organisations across WHO Europe in their membership. WECAN is well-governed, bottom-up, inclusive, democratic, empowering, agile, powerful and collaborative. WECAN’s mission is to act as a well-coordinated cancer patient community towards all stakeholders by building levels of trust, collaboration, alignment and mutual support in the pan-European cancer patient community.