Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan: From research to reality

A European Commitment to Confront Cancer

Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (2021) represents a major commitment to tackling cancer comprehensively, across all stages of the disease. It aims to tackle the entire disease pathway, structured around four key action areas: (1) prevention, (2) early detection, (3) diagnosis and treatment, and (4) quality of life of cancer patients and survivors.

It builds on the principles of the European Health Union and calls for long-term investment in innovation and healthcare systems. Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan focuses on research and innovation, taps into the potential that digitalisation and new technologies offer, and mobilises financial instruments to support Member States. By doing so, it seeks to ensure that patients across the EU can benefit from better care and treatment.

This comprehensive strategy positions Europe at the forefront of global efforts to reduce cancer inequalities and strengthen resilience through innovation and knowledge exchange.

Initiatives Driving Digitalisation and Data Use in Cancer Care

Digital transformation stands at the heart of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. Cancer care is one of the major disease areas that will benefit from the European Digital Strategy, thanks to better exploitation of real-world data using powerful tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and High-Performance Computing.

This digital vision is operationalised through initiatives such as the European Health Data Space (EHDS), which will enable cancer patients to securely access and share their health data in an integrated format between healthcare providers and across borders in the EU. By improving data availability and interoperability, the EHDS aims to make healthcare more efficient, patient-centred, and innovation-friendly.

Another key initiative is the European Cancer Imaging Initiative, which develops an EU ‘atlas’ of cancer-related images, making anonymised images accessible to hospitals, researchers, and innovators. Supported by Digital Innovation Hubs, the initiative will further improve personalised medicine and support innovative solutions, thanks to greater accuracy and reliability in minimally invasive diagnostics and follow-up of treatments.

Together, these actions represent big steps toward a truly data-driven healthcare ecosystem — where digital tools empower both patients and clinicians, and where cross-border collaboration accelerates learning and innovation.

Advancing Personalised and Precision Medicine

Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan envisions a future where cancer care is shaped around the individual, not the disease. It recognises that every patient is different, and no cancer is the same, underscoring the need for treatment approaches that reflect each person’s unique biological and personal context.

Through programmes under Horizon Europe, new partnerships are emerging between scientists, hospitals, and technology developers to translate research into practical healthcare solutions. Efforts such as improving the use of genomic data, developing AI-supported diagnostic tools, and testing innovative treatment pathways in real settings are helping to make personalised medicine a daily reality. By supporting these initiatives, Europe is building a health system that can anticipate risks, provide more precise treatments, and give every patient care that fits their individual journey.

A More Equal and Connected Europe

While innovation drives the scientific dimension of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, its ultimate goal is to make these advances accessible to everyone, everywhere. Its ambition goes beyond medical research — it seeks to build a Europe where access to cancer prevention, treatment, and support is fair and universal. This requires tackling the social and economic factors that influence health, from education and employment to environment and lifestyle.

To achieve this, the Plan promotes cooperation across health, education, and employment sectors, while encouraging Member States to strengthen early detection and support services. Initiatives such as cross-border healthcare collaboration, training for healthcare professionals, and the creation of European Reference Networks for rare cancers illustrate how Europe is working to close existing gaps.

By linking action across these areas, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan promotes a Europe that is not only technologically advanced but also inclusive and resilient.

From Policy to Practice: CancerScan’s Role

The ambitions of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan come to life through projects like CancerScan, which directly contribute to its digital and personalised vision. By combining AI-driven pathology, predictive analytics, and interoperable data infrastructures, CancerScan supports the Plan’s objectives of improving diagnosis, enabling real-world data use, and personalising treatment.

In practice, CancerScan strengthens the bridge between European research and clinical application. By developing digital tools that connect laboratories, hospitals, and data ecosystems, the project enhances the speed and accuracy of diagnosis while supporting medical decisions based on reliable, real-world evidence.

Through its emphasis on collaboration, data quality, and clinical integration, CancerScan exemplifies how research and innovation can translate EU policy into measurable progress. It also contributes to greater equity in care by ensuring that advanced technologies are developed and tested with diverse healthcare systems in mind. In doing so, CancerScan turns the principles of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan into tangible advances that bring innovation closer to every patient’s experience.