Project description
Advancing cancer care with minimally invasive techniques
Interventional oncology focuses on minimally invasive, image-guided procedures for the diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care of cancer patients. It is a rapidly emerging field that includes tumour ablation methods, image-guided biopsies and interventions for pain management or targeted drug delivery. Funded by the HORIZON programme, the IMAGIO project aims to develop multimodal care pathways for aggressive malignancies like liver and lung cancer, leveraging interventional imaging and therapy techniques. The project involves collaborations with research centres, industry, and patient organisations to accelerate the implementation of these minimally invasive technologies and transform healthcare, reducing treatment complications and patient hospitalisation.
Objective
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths. Lung and liver cancers were among the top three leading causes of cancer death in 2020 with 1.8 million and 830.000 deaths, respectively. On the other hand, soft tissue sarcomas are relatively uncommon cancers diagnosed in about 1% of all adults, but much more common in children and young adults, accounting for 7–10% of paediatric malignancies; they are an important cause of death in the 14–29 years age group.
Interventional Oncology involves miniaturized instruments (biopsy needles, ablation electrodes, intravascular catheters) and minimally-invasive access, guided by imaging techniques (X-ray, ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging) – to target cancer with ablative or localized drug delivery strategies. Interventional Oncology can be used as a stand-alone approach, or in combination with the other approaches (‘pillars’) to enhance treatment efficacy.
While cancer survival has significantly improved over time through innovations in each individual pillar, our current understanding of cancer now leads us to an intertwining of pillars and multimodal care pathways: Interventional Oncology is uniquely suited to leverage and enhance the effects of the conventional therapy pillars, while reducing the burden on the healthcare system.
IMAGIO will leverage Interventional Oncology in the clinical setting to improve the cancer survival outcomes, through minimally invasive, efficient, and affordable care.
We will deliver four complete, multimodal care pathways for two of the most aggressive cancers (liver, lung) and one of the most debilitating when treated with current approaches (sarcoma):
1. Multimodal interventional imaging for fast and precise radioembolization therapy of liver cancer;
2. Multimodal ablation therapy of liver cancer;
3. Multimodal diagnosis and therapy in early-stage lung cancer; and
4. Multimodal MR-HIFU-enabled therapy for abdominal sarcoma.
IMAGIO will mature the next-generation interventional imaging across the full spectrum, from pre-clinical developments to impact validation in clinical trials. Expertise on Interventional Oncology and immunotherapy will be leveraged from pioneering clinical research centres and leading industry covering the full value chain of oncological care, as well as cancer patient and professional organisations. Such synergetic partnerships will accelerate the impact of the technologies and transform the way healthcare solutions are delivered, providing access to safe, fast, and effective care. By focusing on the local delivery of therapy, IMAGIO will drive the substitution of conventional higher dose systemic alternatives or invasive surgical approaches, thereby accelerating recovery, reducing complication rates and the number of patient visits.
Fields of science
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologyliver cancer
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologylung cancer
- engineering and technologymedical engineeringdiagnostic imagingmagnetic resonance imaging
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologyimmunotherapy
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesacousticsultrasound
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.2.1 - Health Main Programme
- HORIZON.2.1.7 - Innovative Health Initiative
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-JU-RIA - HORIZON JU Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
5684 PC Best
Netherlands
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Participants (29)
3584 CX Utrecht
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2333 ZA Leiden
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50937 Koeln
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2628 CN Delft
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22335 Hamburg
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6525 GA Nijmegen
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77140 SAINT-PIERRE-LES-NEMOURS
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1105 BP Amsterdam
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1081 HV Amsterdam
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20457 Hamburg
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
01510 Vantaa
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
52068 Aachen
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
82152 Planegg
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
6200 MD Maastricht
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3828 NS Hoogland
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20133 Milan
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72074 Tuebingen
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1210 Bruxelles / Brussel
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3511 DT Utrecht
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90301 Inglewood Ca
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
10001-2192 NEW YORK CITY
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7522 NB Enschede
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2800 Kongens Lyngby
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
20520 Turku
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1200 Bruxelles / Brussel
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2340 Beerse
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
HP12 4EG High Wycombe
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
NJ 08933 NEW BRUNSWICK
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325 Haifa Haifa
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Partners (2)
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
8092 Zuerich
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
NE7 7DN Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
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