A clearer picture of cancer in Europe: how the EU4Health Joint Action CancerWatch is improving European cancer registries data

Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan aims to make better use of data and digital technologies to reduce the burden of cancer and to inform policy decisions at EU and national levels. The European Cancer Information System (ECIS), hosted under the European Knowledge Center on Cancer, is a key initiative to monitor EU cancer trends, including on incidence, mortality and prevalence, and inform policymaking. The data provided through ECIS also feeds into the European Cancer Inequalities Registry, helping to identify disparities in cancer burden, prevention and care between and within countries. 

ECIS relies on high-quality, recent and comparable data provided by population-based cancer registries, collaborating under the European Network of Cancer Registries. However, cancer registries across Europe face several challenges including differences in data quality, timeliness, completeness and coverage.

With an EU contribution of €13 million under the EU4Health programme, the Joint Action (JA) CancerWatch supports cancer registries with the aim to improve the timeliness, quality and completeness of cancer burden data they collect, particularly on incidence, prevalence and survival. The initiative is identifying opportunities to improve the operation of cancer registries and their use of digital methods to capture cancer data from healthcare organisations. It is also developing harmonised approaches to measuring data quality, making data easier to access and providing indicators that show the burden of cancer through ECIS. 

As the Joint Action approaches the end of its first year, it has successfully completed the initial data collection phase for ECIS, launching a Europe‑wide data call with strong engagement from members of the European Network of Cancer Registries. This effort is complemented by the largest survey of cancer registries conducted to date, with 192 registries providing detailed information on their operations, data quality, successes and challenges related to making new cancer statistics available quickly. 

JA CancerWatch has also laid the foundation for harmonised cancer indicators, and is developing protocols for estimating cancer survival and prevalence. In parallel, important progress has been made on the technical infrastructure connecting the national and regional registries with ECIS. A first version of a dedicated software tool for calculating epidemiological indicators has been developed and is currently undergoing pilot testing with cancer registries. This work facilitates more standardised and efficient production of comparable cancer data across countries.  

The Joint Action is also aligning closely with other recent European digital health initiatives. A prototype entry for cancer registry data in the European Health Data Space (EHDS) metadata catalogue has been launched, alongside work on metadata standards and interoperability. In addition, CancerWatch JA is actively developing synergies with other European projects, including with the Horizon Europe project QUANTUM on data quality labelling, helping to ensure that cancer registry data can be better assessed, shared and reused in the future European data ecosystem.

JA CancerWatch will continue until August 2028, working to improve the availability, timeliness and comparability of cancer burden data across Europe. By strengthening the evidence available to researchers and policymakers, the project is helping to support more effective, evidence-based cancer control under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. 

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 calls for tenders.