Joint Action EUnetCCC: Connecting Europe for Excellence, Equity and Collaboration in Comprehensive Cancer Care

The population of the European Union (EU) and associated countries should have access to the best standard of cancer care available. This care should be continuously improved harnessing advances in knowledge, technology, and treatment. Establishing a network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs) across Europe is a key step toward making this vision a reality. The Joint Action EUnetCCC is a major tool for implementing the European network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres (EU CCC) concept and establishing the corresponding network.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how healthcare development directly impacts societal progress and equity. This recognition is particularly relevant to cancer. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Europe, and the first in several countries. It is marked by rising incidence and prevalence, yet there are still untapped opportunities to reduce new cases and improve the lives of an increasing number of cancer survivors.

This is the backdrop of major EU initiatives, including the selection of cancer as one of five Mission areas and the adoption of the EU Beating Cancer Plan, particularly its Flagship 5. These pillars are corner stones for the Joint Action EUnetCCC:

Recognising that advanced cancer centres will be the driving force and hub for realising this vision, both locally, nationally, and across Europe.
Success is two-fold. It depends on close collaboration between CCCs and their European networks.At the same time, it relies on strong alignment with national healthcare systems and cancer policies.
To be considered comprehensive, a cancer centre must integrate prevention, treatment, research, and education, while sharing a unified vision of quality standards.
Cross-border collaboration between CCCs is a critical infrastructure to promote equity and accelerate joint progress in cancer care in Europe.

These elements come together in a shared European concept of Comprehensive Cancer Centres, including a quality assessment system and a collaborative infrastructure to support continued progress. This will gradually be managed by a new European organisation taking over the network management and development both of certification related activities and networking infrastructure. These will be developed in close collaboration with relevant patient organisations, other EU-funded projects and European professional communities.

Facts about EUnetCCC:

With a total budget of €112 million, including €90 million in co-funding from the European Commission until October 2028, Joint Action EUnetCCC is the largest European public health initiative to date, supported by strong political and institutional momentum.
A pan-European consortium coordinated by the French National Cancer Institute (INCa) involving the 27 EU Member States and 4 associated countries: Iceland, Norway, Moldova, and Ukraine
163 organisations working together under a shared ambition
A clear objective: To guarantee that 90% of patients have access to a CCC, thanks to a network of at least 100 certified structures, with at least one CCC in every Member State by 2028.

Within the framework of Joint Action CraNE, the following was agreed upon as the definition of the EUCCC
“A European Comprehensive Cancer Centre (CCC) serves as a major source of clinical care, innovation and discovery into the understanding of cancer, and for the development of more effective approach to prevention, diagnosis and therapy. It shows a direct provision of an extensive range of high-quality cancer diagnostics and care covering at least all the major cancers, and demonstrate a reasonable depth and breadth of activities in basic laboratory, clinical as well as in prevention, cancer control and population-based research. It serves as a focal point of a local/regional or national network and act as a driving force promoting high quality of care and research, disseminating guidelines and good practices, and engaging the populations within its catchment area. A CCC is committed to embody the cooperation between institutions, networks (including among others: Comprehensive Cancer Care Networks, CCCNs) and stakeholders in prevention, care and research. It takes into account the contribution of each of the stakeholders in its field of activity and competence to build a partnership that maximises the impact in its catchment area. It is also committed to cooperate with other EU CCCs and networks for the development of shared resources in the field of research, care, innovation, education and training.”

Based on this a CCC is an organisational entity with a clear central governance and high level of organisational and system-based infrastructure and expertise including:

Organisational capabilities: Defined physical space, leadership positions, administrative/managerial/scientific governance set up, and a coordinating organisation through a matrix or a consortium construct or equivalent.
Strategic partnership: Description of the organisation of the partnership, relationship between partnership institutions, and community engagement within a catchment area.
Transdisciplinary collaboration and coordination: Structures securing multi-disciplinarity when required to secure quality at all points where needed along the patient pathway, system and process securing transfer of scientific findings to professionals, patients and general public the needs for new research based knowledge and innovations the other way.
Institutional commitment to joint Euorpean collaboration: Connecting to and engagement in EBCP and EU CCC network