The European Network of Comprehensive Cancer Centers (EUnetCCC) project, launched in October 2024, is a pioneering initiative under the EU’s Horizon Europe program. Funded with €90 million over four years, EUnetCCC aims to integrate and enhance 100 Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCCs) across 31 countries, ensuring that 90% of eligible European cancer patients can access high-quality care by 2028.

The Kickoff event on October 21-22, 2024, brought together 163 partners to discuss EUnetCCC's strategic vision, roadmap, and collaborative efforts to drive innovation and harmonise cancer care across Europe. The event included presentations from notable figures, including Philippe Roux from the European Commission, who emphasised EUnetCCC's role in bridging disparities in cancer treatment. Stakeholders such as Norbert Ifrah, President of INCa, discussed the certification standards for CCCs and the project’s goal to streamline cancer care and research practices across member states. Highlights included insights on patient-centric approaches, coordination of work packages, and pathways to sustainability. Key themes were network building, certification processes, quality improvement, governance, and strategic international partnerships.
The EUnetCCC project addresses critical challenges, such as ensuring equitable cancer care and fostering data sharing across borders. As a unified platform, it will also accelerate clinical trials, promote innovative therapies, and bolster training for the next generation of cancer researchers. The Kickoff underscored the importance of collaboration and set a robust foundation for future activities, including the first annual EUnetCCC seminar scheduled for December 2024 in Portugal.
The EUnetCCC Kickoff meeting showcased the project’s ambitious goals to improve cancer care accessibility and quality throughout Europe. A primary objective is to create an integrated network of CCCs to streamline the rapid transfer of research into clinical applications, ensuring patients benefit from the latest advancements in cancer treatment.

Each of the project’s nine work packages (WPs) focuses on specific areas essential to this mission:
1.    Coordination and Governance: Establishes strong leadership and governance to maintain alignment across all participating centres, ensuring that activities and resources are managed efficiently.
2.    Certification and Standards: Develop standardised certification criteria for CCCs, which will promote consistent, high-quality care across all centres in the network.
3.    Capacity Building and Quality Improvement: Implements training programs and capacity-building initiatives, enabling CCCs to adopt and share best practices in patient care and clinical research.
4.    Sustainability and Evaluation: Focuses on establishing a sustainable framework that will allow the network to thrive beyond the project’s funding period. Regular evaluations will measure the impact of EUnetCCC on patient outcomes and identify areas for improvement.
5.    Communication and Dissemination: Ensures continuous communication of project progress and results, facilitating stakeholder engagement through media and community outreach. This includes establishing a digital presence and organising events to keep the public and partners informed.

By harmonising cancer care standards and promoting data sharing, the EUnetCCC project seeks to eliminate existing disparities in cancer treatment access across Europe. The Kickoff set the tone for achieving these goals by fostering collaboration among European CCCs, setting the groundwork for the project’s first key milestones, including certification pilots and annual evaluations.
As the network expands, EUnetCCC is expected to play a critical role in aligning national and European cancer care strategies, creating a powerful synergy that will not only benefit current patients but also drive forward the future of oncology research and practice in Europe.
 

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