What this mission area deals with

Cancer: a critical challenge

Cancer affects everyone regardless of age, gender or social status and represents a tremendous burden for patients, families, and societies at large.

If no further action is taken, the number of people newly diagnosed with cancer every year in Europe will increase from the current 3.5 million to more than 4.3 million by 2035.

A mission in this area will help set common goals aiming to reverse these frightening trends in cancer.

By joining efforts across Europe, more people would live without cancer, more cancer patients would be diagnosed earlier, would suffer less and have a better quality of life after treatment.

Report of the Mission Board

“Under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) five Missions aim to deliver solutions to major challenges for Europe. They include a Mission on Cancer. Many more people in Europe are living with cancer as the result of an ageing population, unhealthy lifestyles, and unfavourable social, environmental and working conditions. This is generating a huge burden for citizens, cancer patients, survivors and their families, and for health systems and society at large.

To deliver concrete solutions, the Board for the Mission on Cancer is proposing an ambitious goal: “By 2030, more than 3 million lives saved, living longer and better”. The Board’s Mission outline with the input of citizens, patients and Member States’ stakeholders, now presents 13 recommendations for bold actions to understand cancer, its risk factors and impact; to prevent what is preventable; to optimise diagnostics and treatment; and to support the quality of life of people living with and after cancer, while ensuring equitable access for all. The Board will use its Mission outline as the basis to continue engaging with stakeholders and citizens across Europe to define the actions and strategies required to achieve this goal.”

Other Missions