European Partnership for Action Against Cancer (EPAAC)

Launched in 2009, the European Partnership for Action Against Cancer (EPAAC) was the first joint initiative of its kind of the European Commission co-funded by the Health Programme of the European Union. It established a unique partnership of stakeholders with 36 associated partners and over 100 collaborating partners from the entire cancer field in Europe. The efforts of different stakeholders were designed to develop a joint response to reduce the burden of cancer in the EU by supporting Member States in the development of National Cancer Control Plans.

ECPC contributed to one of the main objectives of setting up innovative networks for exchange of best practices and consensual clinical guidelines for care by contributing the contact information of patient organisations and treatment centres for rare cancers to the RARECARENet project. This information then powered the development of an online platform for rare cancer patients to connect and seek treatment options.

ECPC supported regular collaboration on an ongoing basis in the field of rare cancers, and the possibility of developing web-based tools for progressive harmonisation of clinical guidelines for rare cancers. This is of critical importance for rare cancer patients, as tumours that appear very infrequently among the population rarely get enough exposure to provide a critical mass for research and clinical practices within any single country. ECPC remains a trusted partner in the European Joint Actions on cancer, participated in the 2nd Joint Action on Cancer Control (CanCon) and participates in the work of an ongoing Innovative Partnership for Action Against Cancer (iPAAC).