In 2019, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen identified cancer as one of Europe’s major societal challenges, placing the fight against it high on the European political agenda. This commitment was backed by a €4 billion financial envelope distributed through diverse funding mechanisms, including the EU Mission on Cancer.
The EU Mission on Cancer established a goal to improve the lives of more than 3 million people affected by cancer by 2030 through the implementation of 13 bold recommendations spanning from understanding cancer to early detection and screening, diagnosis and treatment as well as survivorship and quality of life beyond cancer.
To support the implementation of the EU Mission on Cancer at the National, Regional and Local levels, countries were challenged to create structures that act at the heart of the communities. These structures National Cancer Mission Hubs (NCMHs), are being established under the scope of the project ECHoS – Establishing of Cancer Mission Hubs: Networks and Synergies – coordinated by the Portuguese Agency for Clinical Research and Biomedical Innovation (AICIB, Portugal).
The next phase kick-starts in Lisbon
The Kick-off meeting, taking place in Lisbon from 9 to 11 September 2026, marks the first major milestone of the second phase of ECHoS. This gathering will celebrate the main achievements from phase one, such as the 17 recognized NCMHs in Europe, while setting the stage for the next five years of the Network. Together with Consortium partners, this event brings together representatives from the European Commission and other distinguished international organizations in the health sector.
Towards a sustainable EU-network
Bringing together 61 organisations from 30 countries, ECHoS supports collaboration among patients, researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, civil society and industry. In the words of Anabela Isidro and Hugo Soares, Coordinators of the project, “ECHoS and NCMHs provide countries with an opportunity for citizens, patients, researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers and the wider stakeholder community to connect. Bringing these voices closer together helps find new ways of working and enhance the quality of cancer research, care and policies across Europe.”
The Finnish Cancer Center FICAN will act as the coordinator of Finnish Cancer Mission Hub (Syöpämissio Suomi). “This is a great opportunity to develop national collaboration with different actors in the cancer field, as well as join forces in the implementation of the Finnish Cancer Strategy and EU’s Mission on Cancer,” says Project Manager Mirjami Tran Minh.
In its second phase, the ECHoS project aims to solidify the Cancer Mission Hub -networks created in member states, support national structures, as well as ensure european collaboration in cancer treatment, research and participation even after the end of the EU Mission on Cancer (2021-2027).
More information:
Mirjami Tran Minh, Project Manager, Finnish Cancer Center FICAN
mirjami.tran-minh@hus.fi
