The alarming global rise in cancer cases, particularly in Europe, which bears a disproportionate share of this burden—accounting for a quarter of all cancer diagnoses and one-fifth of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The increasing cancer incidence in Europe creates a ripple effect on society and the economy, further deepening health disparities. These disparities are often linked to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, geographic location, and access to care, highlighting the urgent need for equitable cancer research and care solutions. To address this pressing challenge, the European Commission has implemented ambitious, innovative initiatives under the European EU4Health (EBCP) and Horizon Europe (HE). These efforts aim to integrate cancer control strategies informed by fundamental, translational, and clinical research. While the organisation of cancer awareness and control initiatives at various levels is commendable, their fragmented approach often dilutes efforts and creates confusion among citizens, researchers, and healthcare professionals. Through the Mission on Cancer, the European Commission encourages member states and associated countries (MS/AC) to combine research, innovation, and policy development in ways that cannot be achieved through isolated and fragmented initiatives.
The HE Mission on Cancer embodies this collective ambition: "to improve the lives of more than 3 million people by 2030 through prevention, cure, and by enabling those affected by cancer, including their families, to live longer and better lives." This vision serves as the driving force behind the ECHoS project.
The ambition of ECHoS is to support the implementation of the European Mission on Cancer by providing Member States and Associated Countries (MS/AC) with the capacity to create National Cancer Mission Hubs (NCMHs). These NCMHs will play a major role in mobilising and involving relevant national, regional, and local stakeholders, including citizens, in cancer-related policy dialogues. ECHoS will provide these structures with guidelines, toolkits, and models for their efficient implementation, engagement of stakeholders, creation of synergies, and for the organisation of policy dialogues on cancer.
In addition, ECHoS will set the foundations for the creation of a European Network of National Cancer Mission Hubs (EU network of NCMHs) with the ambition to create a formal platform of knowledge sharing and support to the Cancer Mission that will continue fostering collaborative research, policy alignment and citizen and other stakeholder engagement efforts beyond 2027. ECHoS will engage with stakeholders across the entire ecosystem, from individual citizens to European institutions, including national authorities, regulators, industry, patient organisations, and academia.
This broad scope aims to take cancer-policy dialogues beyond research and innovation and health systems covering also other relevant areas in cancer control and support such as employment, education, and socio-economic aspects. To guarantee alignment and progress in cancer, ECHoS will be guided by impact, focusing on thematic areas of Cancer Mission such as prevention, early detection and treatment, quality of life and survivorship, as well as horizontal areas such as equity, sustainability, and cross-cutting priorities.
