Childhood Cancer Awareness Month 2026: EU4Health projects improving care and quality of life for young cancer patients and their caregivers

In the EU, around 14 000 children and adolescents were diagnosed with cancer in 2022. The same year, more than 2 000 children lost their lives to the disease. Fortunately, cancer treatments have been improving so that most childhood cancer patients in Europe will become long-term survivors.  

Europe's Beating Cancer Plan 

Improving the diagnosis, treatment and care of childhood cancer is among the priorities highlighted in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. Actions under the plan are supported by several projects funded under the EU4Health programme. 

To improve quality of life for children/adolescents with cancer and their families, the IMPACT-EU project aims to establish Europe-wide standards for psychosocial care in paediatric oncology, ensuring comprehensive support throughout the treatment journey, including the transition to adult care. After almost a year of implementation, the project has already: 

• finalised the first draft of its evidence-based ‘Guideline of Psychosocial Care’, including a clear definition of psychosocial care versus psychosocial support and integrating contemporary developments and regional particularities; 
• conducted a scoping review, mapping existing literature, to identify the types of psychosocial services that may be available for paediatric oncology in Europe, which will be complemented by the results of a survey mapping the existing psychosocial services within hospitals, in collaboration with the ON-COME project; 
• created a master course on psychosocial care support and rehabilitation for children in paediatric oncology and their families, which will take place on 29-30 April 2027 in Utrecht, the Netherlands; 
• completed visits to Dublin, Bucharest, Bratislava and Barcelona to prepare the piloting and implementation of the project’s psychosocial screening and the therapeutic tools in local paediatric oncology centres;
• planned the first policy event which will take place in Dublin on 18 November 2026. The goal of this policy event is to advocate for reduced psychosocial inequities in Ireland and Europe broadly. This event is recognised as an associated event of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026. 

The ON-COME project aims to further improve the psychosocial and nutritional care provided to paediatric cancer patients by addressing challenges and gaps in supportive services across Europe. The project has already launched a survey to map existing psychosocial services in participating countries, together with the IMPACT-EU project, identifying strengths and gaps to create a blueprint for a unified service system. 

Furthermore, the project aims to: 

• develop advanced digital tools, including an AI-powered app for patients and caregivers and a platform for healthcare professional (HCP), to enhance service delivery and decision-making; 
• provide specialised training for HCPs, ensuring they are equipped with the skills necessary for holistic, patient-centred care; 
• pilot the newly developed services in clinical settings across Europe, with continuous evaluation to ensure effectiveness and adaptability. 

The European Youth Cancer Network (YARN) aims to improve the quality of life of young people affected by cancer through peer support, education, advocacy, research and policy engagement.  

YARN integrates and builds on the EU-CAYAS-NET and OACCUs projects to expand the EU Network of Youth Cancer Survivors, focusing on peer support, social networking and digital tools to improve access to information, particularly for those facing relapse, metastatic cancer and treatment side effects. 

Through focus groups, peer visits, training programs, webinars and workshops, the project will implement psychosocial and mental health care standards, offer education and career support and develop comprehensive resources for long-term follow-up and transition of care through evidence-based guidelines. 

One year in, the project has:  

• established the YARN Youth Cancer Council (YCC) as a core mechanism for youth involvement, with 103 members actively involved in the development and review of project activities, tools and resources, and which held two in-person meetings; 
• organised the healthy lifestyles bootcamp, which gathered 49 young people from 23 countries for activities focused on healthy lifestyles, wellbeing and peer connection; 
• brought the project closer to young people through its presence at large conferences organised by the major European cancer societies ESMO and EONS, while also engaging directly with attendees of major European music festivals; 
• developed a plain-language brochure on long-term follow-up after cancer, as well as a self-assessment checklist on equity, diversity and inclusion for patient organisations, and guidelines for inclusive events for people affected by cancer; 
• launched a European survey on the role of social connections in the lives and wellbeing of young people affected by cancer. 

The Joint Action Hope4Kids is seeking to ensure that children with cancer have better access to high-quality paediatric palliative care (PPC) across Europe. Rather than focusing only on the illness itself, palliative care aims to reduce suffering and improve the wellbeing of children and the people caring for them, regardless of the diagnosis or stage of disease. Although the benefits of PPC are well recognised, specialist palliative care is still not routinely part of cancer care for many children. Treatment often concentrates on fighting the cancer and controlling symptoms, leaving some children and their families without the additional support they need. 

During its first year, Hope4Kids has focused on building the foundations for a more harmonised and equitable approach to PPC across Europe. So far, key achievements include: 

• developing the comprehensive harmonised international Individual Care Plan (ICP) template for PPC with the ICP Working Group, supporting continuity of care and strengthening communication between healthcare professionals to help ensure that the needs and preferences of children and their families remain central to care planning; 
• launching a general website on PPC; 
• developing an evaluation plan and the launch of the Hope4Kids Indicators Platform; 
• mapping existing PPC policies and practices while identifying gaps within this landscape, with results foreseen to be published in autumn 2026; 
• reviewing existing PPC educational materials and exploring the training needs of parents and other informal caregivers as a foundation for the future development of educational programmes, as well as of a European PPC curriculum; 
• starting preparations for four pilot interventions to be implemented and evaluated across multiple European sites to test innovative approaches for improving paediatric palliative care and delivery. 

HaDEA is also managing a contract to produce a study examining how healthcare is delivered to adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients and survivors across the EU, Norway and Iceland. The study will explore what helps or hinders access to high-quality care before, during and after cancer treatment. Alongside identifying good practices and innovative solutions, the study will provide recommendations for national action and propose ways to make healthcare more responsive to the specific needs of AYA cancer patients and survivors. 

Discover more projects managed by HaDEA that are advancing the fight against cancer. 

Background 

EU4Health is the fourth and largest of the EU health programmes. The EU4Health programme goes beyond an ambitious response to the COVID-19 crisis to address the resilience of European healthcare systems. The programme provides funding to national authorities, health organisations and other bodies through grants and public procurement, contributing to a healthier Europe. 

HaDEA manages the vast majority of the total EU4Health budget and implements the programme by managing calls for proposals and tenders from 2021 to 2027.