European Week Against Cancer: new EU4Health projects working on prevention, early detection and diagnosis and treatment

As the European Week Against Cancer continues, take a closer look at a selection of EU4Health cancer projects helping to contribute to EU’s objectives to fight cancer: 

1. Prevention

• FILTERED aims to stimulate collaborative advocacy, health promotion, action, and accountability for the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among civil society organisations specialised in the reduction of alcohol- and tobacco-related harm, both at the European and national level (including in Ukraine);
• The Joint Action PreventNCD aims to coordinate strategies on health determinants to reduce the burden of cancer and NCDs in Europe, building a comprehensive European infrastructure for monitoring factors related to cancer and other NCDs;
• PEACHD will focus on preventing cancer among refugee and lower- socioeconomic populations by developing and piloting large-scale integrated screening and brief intervention strategies, promoting healthy lifestyles and addressing multiple risk factors related to cancer and other NCDs;
• ELISAH aims to reduce the burden of breast cancer by acting on modifiable risk factors, such as environmental pollution, unhealthy nutrition, lack of physical activity, and involving NGOs and patient groups;
• ShowUp4Health is developing and testing an integrated methodology in Central and Eastern Europe that combines medical and social interventions. This can be used as a tool to build trust and facilitate higher levels of health literacy in vulnerable groups like the Roma and internally displaced populations.

Check out more EU4Health projects working on cancer prevention.

2. Early detection 

• EUCervScreen QA will update the European clinical practice guidelines and develop the European quality assurance (QA) scheme for cervical cancer prevention;

Read more about other projects focusing on early detection of cancer.

3. Diagnosis and treatment

• The OriON Joint Action aims to support the Cancer Inequalities Registry by identifying trends, disparities and inequalities in cancer prevention and care, both between and within European countries and regions;
• INTERACT-EUROPE 100 is pioneering a brand-new approach to inter-specialty cancer training across 100 cancer centers in Europe, building upon the success of INTERACT-EUROPE. The project introduces two new modules: paediatric oncology and specific needs for displaced people with cancer, with a focus on Ukraine.
• EUCAPA will improve the skills and knowledge of patient advocates that will participate in health technology assessments (HTAs) whilst also helping patient organisations to respond to requests, in light of the new HTA regulation that will enter into force in January 2025;
• The HTA4Patients project will update the existing trainings developed by the European Patients’ Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI), a key multistakeholder actor for patient engagement in Europe, in the field of Health Technology Assessments and develop new courses and training sessions on the EU HTA Regulation. 
• TRANSiTION focuses on digital skills training to increase healthcare professionals’ digital literacy and usage of digital tools, and the effective integration of technology in healthcare practice;
• DigiCanTrain implements a new digital skills training for cancer health care workforce in Europe in order to support the development of more effective, person-centred health care, digital cancer care services and the use of contemporary eHealth technology; 
• The PrISMA Joint Action (Preparatory activities to support Implementation of quality and Safety of Medical ionising radiation Applications) contributes to the action plan of the Strategic Agenda for Medical Ionising Radiation Applications (SAMIRA). It is paving the way for a future Joint Action to support future developments in the area of quality and safety issues concerning medical applications of ionising radiation across all EU countries.

Check out other EU4Health projects on cancer diagnosis and treatment.

As part of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, there are also projects focusing on the fourth priority area of cancer, which is quality of life. 

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.