• The EU Mission on Cancer aims to improve the lives of more than 3 million people through prevention and cure
• The Prevention and Early Detection (Screening) Mission Cancer Cancer Cluster is a collaboration cluster of seven EU-funded research projects
• Focus of the cluster is to promote collaboration among Mission Cancer Projects on unlocking the potential of new tools and digital solutions for the prevention & early detection (screening) of cancer.

Athens, 02 July 2024: The 2^nd annual meeting for the Prevention and Early Detection (Screening) Mission Cancer Cluster took place on Saturday, 15 June 2024 in Rhodes, Greece. The meeting was hosted by the Horizon Europe Mission Cancer project, ONCOSCREEN, whose focus is on developing a European “shield” against colorectal cancer based on novel, precise and affordable screening methods and viable policy pathways.

The Prevention and Early Detection (Screening) Mission Cancer Cluster comprises of seven EU-funded projects, including ONCOSCREEN, MammoScreen, LUCIA Project, PANCAID, DIOPTRA, ThermoBreast and SANGUINE, with partners from all over the EU and beyond. All members of the cluster attended this hybrid meeting.

The aim of this meeting, in line with the overarching objective of the Cluster itself, was to examine opportunities for cross-fertilisation of synergies and results towards a joint impact. Each project presented their latest developments and discussed the progress each is expected to make in the upcoming year.

Following this, several key topics for potential synergies were highlighted, including Research and Innovation (including Policy Making recommendations), Data Management Plan Harmonisation, Addressing Inequalities, Citizen Engagements, and Joint Communication and Dissemination. Each project contributed in these areas, providing a status update of their own work, followed by an open discussion on where new opportunities lie, and next steps for joining forces together to achieve the cluster’s goals.

Anaxagoras Fotopoulos (EXUS AI Labs), ONCOSCREEN Project Coordination Team, who hosted the meeting, commented on the progress of the cluster and what can be expected in the coming year:

“On behalf of the ONCOSCREEN Project and the Project Coordination Team of EXUS, we would like to thank all participants that with their voice and ideas in our 2^nd Annual Meeting, enhanced the collaboration and know-how exchange among the projects of the cluster, while defining our activities for the next year towards an even stronger join impact! This cluster meeting proved that we can work as one very big team for the benefit of European Citizens in our fight against cancer!”

Find updates about the ONCOSCREEN project here.

ENDS

Notes to Editor

For further details, please contact:

For technical enquiries:

Anaxagoras Fotopoulos, Project Coordination Team, EXUS AI Labs

E-mail |ONCOSCREEN_coordination@exus.co.uk

For media enquiries:

Ivanna Katz, EU Project Manager, Carr Communications

E-mail | ikatz@carrcommunications.ie

X/Twitter | @oncoscreen

LinkedIn | ONCOSCREEN

About ONCOSCREEN:

The ONCOSCREEN project seeks to develop new methods and technologies for cancer screening and early detection. The core objective of ONCOSCREEN is to enhance citizen awareness, participation, and acceptance of colorectal cancer screening programmes. The ONCOSCREEN Consortium consists of 38 partner organisations representing 15 countries across Europe. The ONCOSCREEN project is funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101097036 and is coordinated by EXUS AI Labs.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the European Health and Digital Executive Agency can be held responsible for them.