8.2.3: Cancer Research

Cancer Research: Enhancing the Capabilities of the Cancer Research Ecosystem

Lead Contact

Ieva Ailte

Project brief

This task aims to enhance the research performance of CCCs by supporting infrastructure development, fostering collaboration, and bridging research with clinical care. It prioritises cross-centre development, access to expertise, and patient involvement to advance cancer research across Europe.

Objectives (Summary)

  • Create meeting arenas
  • Increase Access to Expertise & Infrastructure
  • Coordinate collaborations
  • Integrate Patient Involvement
  • Create educational material

Lead

View the teams and institutions involved in this task.

OUS CCC

Norway

HUS CCC

Finland

How external partners can help

  • Join Twinning and Networking Activities
  • Host & Fund Workshops
  • Lend Patient Advocacy
  • Disseminate Invitations, Announcements and Findings

Our activities

Research Ecosystem Survey - Distributed a comprehensive questionnaire to WP8.2.3-affiliated institutions (completed May 2025) to identify bottlenecks, strengths, and priority topics from across Europe.

Data Analysis & Prioritization - Analyzed survey responses to rank infrastructural needs, resource shortages, and thematic interests, ensuring equitable representation of diverse centers. Survey Report is published on EUnetCCC website.

Twinning activities - Pair research groups with complementary competence, including mature CCCs with those needing capacity building.

Knowledge Exchange - Sharing SOPs, platform access, and mentorship—to fast-track local infrastructure development.

Topic-Specific Networks - The first network entitled “Innovating Cancer Care Through De-escalating Studies” will be kicked off with an international symposium on March 5-6th at The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam. The symposium will bring together researchers, clinicians, patient representatives, regulatory authorities and industry representatives. This symposium will explore the key challenges and essential steps required to successfully launch and complete de-escalation trials. Our aim is to identify best practices by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, ultimately making high-quality de-escalation trials accessible to a growing number of patients.

Patient & Public Involvement Workshops - Host site visits and workshops in 2026 that will educate and motivate researchers and patient advocates on co-creation methods, ethics, and communication strategies to deepen engagement.

Educational activities - Web-based courses for study nurses and investigators in collaboration with other tasks and WPs in EUnetCCC.

PDF Presentation

Video presentation

Contact

Other tasks

8.2.4

Precision Cancer Diagnostics

8.2.5

Secondary Use of Clinical Data

Latest Insights & Updates

Explore our newest blog posts featuring key developments, expert insights, and innovations in comprehensive cancer care.

WP8 Updates March 12, 2026

Physical activity in breast cancer is not an “extra.”

It is a real need. And that's why we created the physical activity guide “RECOVERY, STEP BY STEP”:

WP8 Updates January 21, 2026

European collaboration to strengthen cancer care networks – EUnetCCC meeting in Cluj-Napoca

Experts from several European institutions came together to review the progress of the Romanian national pilot and to discuss practical ways to better connect research, innovation and clinical care

WP8 Updates November 28, 2025

OUR PROGRESS IN OCTOBER 2025

October has been a month of intensive activity across our WP8 tasks, with teams gathering at key meetings and events as we build momentum towards the First EUnetCCC Annual Meeting in Paris (6-7 November 2025). From presenting our work at ESMO to launching new webinar series and continuing collegial exchanges across Europe, our network continues to strengthen and grow.