On 29-30 March 2023, the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) and the Spanish Biomedical Cancer Research Network (CIBER-ONC) organised and hosted in Barcelona the 1st of the two scheduled Face-to-Face UNCAN.eu Consensus Workshops.

These consensus exercises aim to discuss the inputs from more than 300 experts representing most European countries in the areas of prevention, early diagnosis, sensitivity & resistance to therapy, pediatric cancer, cancer & ageing, and survivorship and ultimately identify those research topics that must be addressed at a supranational level. The Barcelona workshop was dedicated to the areas of ‘cancer prevention’, ‘early diagnosis’, and ‘sensitivity & resistance to therapy’, and the remaining three areas will be covered during a second workshop in Rome

During the1.5-day event that took place in Barcelona, more than 100 experts participated in a series of breakout sessions and roundtable discussions where they shared their perspectives on the three research areas and debated about transversal aspects, such as funding mechanisms innovation, patient engagement & data management.

From the side of ECPC, Dr. Aliki Stathopoulou, Sr Health and Research officer, on behalf of WP4, presented and summarized the perspectives of patients and citizens in these three research areas. These priorities and expectations from European patients and citizens  were captured through a survey launched between November 20, 2022, to February 20, 2023.

Prof. Francesco de Lorenzo, President of ECPC, was invited to participate in the open colloquium along with other patient representatives and researchers to represents the voice of cancer patients on the future perspectives of UNCAN.eu and on how patients and citizens across Europe may be integrated into the research process.

More information on the analysis of the notes taken from the different scientific sessions and roundtable discussions is coming soon.