Cancer Core Europe (CCE) is a European consortium committed to advancing cancer care by driving interdisciplinary translational-clinical research, fostering education, and collaborating with industry partners. By integrating the expertise of seven leading European research institutes, CCE seeks to advance precision oncology, improve clinical trial design, and elevate patient care.
The European Union’s Commitment to Cancer Care
The European Union (EU) has set ambitious goals to improve the lives of more than 3 million people by 2030 through enhanced cancer prevention, treatment, and support initiatives. These efforts are reinforced by two key EU programs: Horizon Europe’s Cancer Mission and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.
To accelerate these advancements, Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures (CCIs) have been identified as essential national or regional hubs, providing critical resources for cancer care, research, education, and support.
The Origins of Cancer Core Europe
Founded in 2014, CCE brings together seven of Europe’s most prestigious cancer centres including Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre (United Kingdom), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) & National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg (Germany), Institute Gustave Roussy (France), Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano (Italy), Netherlands Cancer Institute (Netherlands) and Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (Spain).
These institutes, most of them accredited as Comprehensive Cancer Centers by the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI), formed a self-financed legal entity unified by a shared mission: to advance cancer research for the benefit of patients.
Core Pillars of Cancer Core Europe
CCE’s efforts are organized around four key pillars: Clinical Trials & Translational Research, Virtual Data Center, Early Detection and Prevention and Education & Training.
Additionally, specialized task forces in cancer imaging, rare tumors, pathology, and genomics further support CCE’s mission, addressing current challenges in oncology by leveraging the strengths of each institution.
Patient-Centred Oncology
CCE places a strong emphasis on partnering with patients and caregivers throughout the research process, a practice known as Patient and Public Involvement (PPI). This collaboration enhances the quality, relevance, and integrity of research.
Through initiatives like CCE_DART, CCE has long promoted PPI by providing training for researchers and developing tools to empower patients with better knowledge of precision oncology and clinical trials. These efforts highlight the importance of integrating patient perspectives, particularly in survivorship and palliative care, ensuring that research remains patient-centred.
Proven Success and Future Goals
CCE stands as a leading example of how cancer centres can collaborate to create standardized networks for sharing clinical, imaging, and molecular data. The consortium advocates for using these coordinated efforts to establish new capacity-building programs and expand networks of CCIs and Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCCs) at the EU level.
Looking ahead, CCE seeks to broaden its impact by fostering global partnerships and knowledge exchange with international oncology networks. Through these collaborative efforts, CCE aims to advance precision oncology and address disparities in cancer care, research, and education on a global scale.
Reference:
Javier Carmona, Elena Chavarria, Kate Donoghue, Christina von Gertten, Petra Oberrauch, Emma Pailler, Giovanni Scoazec, Ruud Weijer, Judith Balmaña, Irene Brana, Cinzia Brunelli, Suzette Delaloge, Marc Deloger, Pierre Delpy, Ingemar Ernberg, Rebecca Fitzgerald, Elena Garralda, Martin Lablans, Janne Lëhtio, Carlos Lopez, Maialen Fernández, Rosalba Miceli, Paolo Nuciforo, Raquel Perez-Lopez, Elena Provenzano, Marjanka K Schmidt, Cesar Serrano, Neeltje Steeghs, David Tamborero, Valtteri Wirta, Richard Baird, Karen Barker, Fabrice Barlesi, Michael Baumann, Jonas Bergh, Filippo de Braud, Karim Fizazi, Stefan Froehling, Alejandro Piris, Kenneth Seamon, Michiel Van der Heijden, Wilbert Zwart, Josep Tabernero. Cancer Core Europe: Leveraging Institutional Synergies to Advance Oncology Research and Care Globally. Cancer Discov (2024) 14 (7): 1147–1153. https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-24-0377
