Cancer mission objectives

To build mission portfolios, project clusters have been set up, bringing together projects funded under each call topic. The goal is to engage coordinators in building synergies among projects, and conducting joint activities, ultimately contributing to mobilising the cancer research community at large.

The first specific objective of the Mission is to improve the understanding of the development of cancer in the context of the environment, work, and lifestyle in the broadest possible sense (e.g. air pollution, occupational risk, diet, socio-economic status, etc.) as well as the role of genetic risk in developing cancer and disease outcome.

UNCAN.eu, a European initiative to UNderstand CANcer, will be a novel platform that will bring all relevant players and information together, based on existing efforts in Europe and beyond. The CSA, 4.UNCAN.eu is developing a blueprint for the UNCAN.eu platform.

Other projects funded include:

• genial
  Understanding gene–environment interaction in alcohol-related hepatocellular carcinoma
• LUCIA
  Understanding lung cancer-related risk factors and their impact
• MELCAYA
  Novel health-care strategies for melanoma in children, adolescents, and young adults
• Elmumy
  Elucidation of risk factors and health determinants associated with progression of monoclonal gammopathies to multiple myeloma
• DISCERN
  Discovering the causes of three poorly understood cancers in Europe, renal, pancreatic and colorectal
• HIT-GLIO
  Targeting tumour-host interactions in paediatric malignant gliomas to reinvigorate immunity and improve radio- and immunotherapy efficacy
• GLIOMATCH
  The malignant Glioma immuno-oncology matchmaker: towards data-driven precision medicine using spatially resolved radio-multiomics
• THRIVE
  Tumour host interactions in liver cancer of childhood and adults
• MULTIR
  MULti-Tumour based prediction and manipulation of Immune Response
• Arturo
  Assessing the role of intratumoral microbiota in therapy responses using patient-derived tumor-on-chip
• MOTHER
  Modeling early tumor mechanisms to treat established digestive tumors 

European Cancer Prevention Centre (coming soon)

The second specific objective of the Mission is to boost cancer prevention for EU citizens by generating knowledge on current and potential cancer risk factors, including interactions between multiple risk factors and by improving the performance of population-based screening programmes as well as, through research, developing screening tools that can be integrated in screening programmes and easily implemented at national level.

Projects funded include:

• PANCAID
  Pancreatic Cancer Initial Detection via liquid biopsy
• The MammoScreen Project
  Innovative and safe microwave-based imaging technology to make breast cancer screening more accurate and female friendly
• CO-CAPTAIN
  Cancer prevention among individuals with mental ill-health: co-adapting and implementing patient navigation for primary cancer prevention
• PREVENT
  Improving and upscaling primary prevention of cancer by addressing childhood obesity through implementation research - the PREVENT approach
• Thermobreast
  An innovative non-contact and harmless screening modality set to change the course of breast cancer detection and patient monitoring
• Lucia
  Understanding Lung Cancer related risk factors and their Impact
• Dioptra
  Early dynamic screening for colorectal cancer via novel protein biomarkers reflecting biological initiation mechanism
• Oncoscreen
  A European “shield” against colorectal cancer based on novel, more precise and affordable risk-based screening methods and viable policy pathways
• Sanguine
  Early detection and screening of hematological malignancies
• Pieces
  Towards large-scale adaptation and tailored implementation of evidence-based primary cancer prevention programmes in Europe and beyond
• 4PCAN
  Personalized CANcer Primary Prevention research through Citizen Participation and digitally enabled social innovation
• Oncodir
  Evidence-based Participatory Decision Making for Cancer Prevention through implementation research
• CPW
  Cancer Prevention at Work (CPW): Occupational health surveillance in the implementation of prevention of infection-related cancer
• MELIORA
  Multimodal Engagement and sustainable Lifestyle Interventions Optimizing breast cancer Risk reduction supported by Artificial intelligence
• SUNRISE
  SUstaiNable inteRventions and healthy behavIours for adoleScent primary prEvention of cancer with digital tools
• iBeCHANGE
  Addressing psychosocial and lifestyle risk factors to promote primary cancer prevention: an integrated platform to promote behavioural change

The third objective of the Mission is to optimise the diagnostics and treatment of cancer based on the principle of equitable access. This applies not only to the results of high-quality cancer research, but also to ensure patients have access to the latest, most personalised, minimally invasive treatments for their conditions, and with minimal secondary effects.

The Mission will support the creation of a Network of Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures (CCIs) by 2025 and develop a quality assurance scheme valid for EU-27 and Associated Countries, to complement the set-up of a network of CCIs across Member States established through the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, and support future research, training, and awareness raising/communication activities. The CSA CCI4EU is developing a capacity building programme in MS and AC to improve or develop existing or future CCIs, focussing on research innovation and digital-related capacities and integration with cancer care.

Other projects funded include:

• PRIME-ROSE
  Precision Cancer Medicine Repurposing System Using Pragmatic Clinical Trials
• ReThink Health
  A European precision cancer medicine trial network and implementation initiative funded by the EU Cancer Mission
• LEGATO
  Lomustine with or without reirradiation for first progression of glioblastoma: a pragmatic randomized phase III study
• SalvOvar
  A European multi-disciplinary clinical project meant to improve the management of patients with poor prognostic ovarian cancer neoadjuvant chemotherapy: restoring hope, salvaging lives
• Strexit2
  PRecisIon Cancer MEdicine RepurpOsing SystEm Using Pragmatic Clinical Trials
• Liveration
  Unravelling the impact of Radiofrequency in liver surgery: the key to decrease local recurrence?
• Impact-AML
  Master Framework and Pragmatic Clinical Trial for Relapse or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia
• De Escalate
  Intermittent androgen deprivation therapy in the era of androgen receptor pathway inhibitors; a phase 3 pragmatic randomised trial
• IntReALL 2020
  International Study for Treatment of Childhood Relapsed ALL 2020
• Important
  IMPlementing geriatric assessment for dose Optimization of CDK 4/6-inhibitors in older bReasT cAncer patieNTs
• Sagittarius
  A precision medicine trial leveraging blood-based tumor genomics to optimize treatment in operable stage III and high-risk stage II colon cancer patients – the SAGITTARIUS trial
• PragmaTIL
  Pragmatic approach to Adoptive Cell Therapy (ACT) using Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) in selected solid tumors
• Care1
  First line randomized study platform to optimize treatment in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma
• Definitive
  Diagnostic HER2DX-guided treatment for patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer
• Endeavour
  Endoscopic brush cytology and single cell clinal dynamics of early easophageal adenocarcinoma for detecting cost effective surveillance strategies and prediction of cancer recurrence
• Monalisa
  A SIOPEN pragmatic clinical trial to MOnitor NeuroblastomA relapse with LIquid biopsy Sensitive Analysis
• Premo Collab
  Personalised response monitoring in oncology: co-creating clinical trials in advanced breast cancer
• Resolve
  Residual disease assessment in hematologic malignancies to improve patient-relevant outcomes across Europe

The Mission will support the set-up of a European Cancer Patient Digital Centre (ECPDC) where patients and survivors will be able to access their own clinical data, to deposit clinical and patient reported health data in a standardised, ethical and interoperable manner, and share their data with healthcare professionals and researchers in a secure way. The Mission has funded a study on feasibility, utility and sustainability of the ECPDC and a blueprint for the ECPDC has been developed. (Project ECPDC).

Other project funded include Quality of Life in Oncology: measuring what matters for cancer patients and survivors in Europe, (EUonQoL) and e-health tools to promote Equality in Quality of Life for childhood to young adulthood cancer patients, survivors and their families - a PanEuropean project supported by PanCare and Harmonic consortia (eQUOL).