Action grants for ‘EU Cancer Treatment Capacity and Capability Mapping’ project - Network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres

EXPECTED RESULTS AND IMPACT
The mapping of EU Cancer Treatment Capacity and Capability in the Member States is expected to result in facilitating the delivery of higher-quality care and reduce inequalities across the Union, while enabling patients to benefit from diagnosis and treatment close to home.

SPECIFIC ACTION-LEVEL INDICATORS FOR REPORTING PURPOSES

Applicants must include data on the following indicators in their regular reporting activities in case of award, and must be prepared to include additional specific indicators where needed:

• Number of inputs treated by the scanning exercise.
• Number (including types) of regular reports provided by the horizon scanning tool(s) developed and operated by the project.
• Number (including types) of downloads of reports.

Number (including types) of topics identified, selected and prioritised to be included and followed up by the activities implemented in the context of the Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures.

POLICY CONTEXT

The European Guide on Quality Improvement in Comprehensive Cancer Control recommends as a priority the establishment of Comprehensive Cancer Care Networks, and likewise the Horizon Europe Cancer Mission Board recommends the establishment of such structures in all Member States as well as the networking of these centres at Union level.

One of the flagship initiatives of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is the establishment by 2025 of an EU Network linking recognised National Comprehensive Cancer Centres in every Member State to facilitate the uptake of quality-assured diagnosis and treatment, in agreement with the European guidelines and quality assurance schemes for population based screening programmes, including training, research and clinical trials across the Union. The Cancer Plan aims to ensure that 90% of eligible patients have access to such centres by 2030.

This action supports the implementation of a flagship initiative of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan objective to deliver higher-quality care and links also with the European Health Data Space and the European Digital Cancer Patient Centre, and implements the EU4HealthProgramme’s general objective of improving and fostering health in the Union (Article 3, point (a)) through the specific objectives defined in Article 4, points (a) and (g) of Regulation (EU) 2021/522.

OBJECTIVES
The ‘EU Cancer Treatment Capacity and Capability Mapping’ action aims to map and share the different capabilities and expertise available across the Union.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITIES TO BE FUNDED UNDER THIS TOPIC
The action will support the identification of the different capabilities and expertise available across the Union, and build the foundation to regularly identify gaps and needs to be addressed at national and regional level across the Union. At the same time, the EU Network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres will be updated on cancer care innovation as well as on cancer workforce training.