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:

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

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:

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

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:

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

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).