News

10/2025 EUnetCCC | Study Visit and Opening Workshop – Ukraine National Cancer Institute

The week from October 27 to 31, 2025 marked an important milestone in the collaboration between the Joint Action EUnetCCC and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of Ukraine.

Despite the ongoing challenges in their home country, three colleagues from the NCI, Dr. Yurii Kondratskyi, Mykyta Pepenin and Oleksii Dobrzhanskyi, joined us to exchange experiences, learn from certified cancer centres in Germany, and discuss the first steps towards setting up a Comprehensive Cancer Care Network (CCCN) in Kyiv.

The visit began at the University Hospital Chemnitz, Clinic for Thoracic, Angio- and Endovascular Surgery, a longstanding DKG-certified Lung Cancer Center. Dr. Sven Seifert and his team warmly welcomed the delegation and shared insights into their work. Over two intensive days, the group explored the structure and workflow of multidisciplinary teams, observed procedures in minimally invasive and robotic surgery, and attended tumor boards in thoracic and visceral oncology.
Dr. Seifert and his colleagues shared their remarkable experience in developing high-quality, patient-centred care, demonstrating how coordinated multidisciplinary collaboration can make a measurable difference for patients.

On October 31, the group met in Berlin for the Opening Workshop, hosted by the German Cancer Society (DKG). The meeting focused on practical aspects of implementing a CCCN, reviewing the Set of Standards, the CCCN Partner Matrix, and approaches to Data Management, Quality Indicators, and Patient Pathways.

Special thanks to our partners Dr. Nikolai Goncharenko (Luxembourg Institut National du Cancer (INC)), and Dr. Sergej Popovich (MammoLOAD), who kindly joined the meeting and shared their extensive experience with certification processes.

This week laid the foundation for further collaboration between Ukraine NCI and EUnetCCC WP9 to establish a sustainable and high-quality pilot CCCN in Ukraine.

Together, we take another step toward improving access to comprehensive, high-quality cancer care for all patients in Europe.

10/2025 Strengthening collaboration within the Joint Action EUnetCCC

The EUnetCCC Work Package 6 (WP6) and Work Package 9 (WP9) teams met in October at the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) to align our approaches on capacity building and practical tools for supporting candidate Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs) and Comprehensive Cancer Care Networks (CCCNs).

Participants included representatives from the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO, Spain), the German Cancer Society (DKG, Germany), the Estonian Cancer Network (ESTCAN, Estonia), Lillebaelt Hospital, Department of Oncology (RSYD, Denmark), and Technische Universität Dresden (TUD, Germany).

Together, we are working to ensure that future CCCs and CCCNs benefit from effective training concepts and tools. Another step toward building strong, connected, and quality-assured cancer care in Europe.

10/2025 Opening Workshop at Institut National du Cancer, Luxembourg

On October 10, healthcare institutions in Luxembourg met with the EUnetCCC WP9 team from the Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft (DKG) to kick off the collaboration to establish a Comprehensive Cancer Care Network (CCCN) for Gynaecological Cancers in Luxembourg.

The workshop, hosted by the Institut National du Cancer (INC), brought together representatives from four hospitals – Hôpitaux Robert Schuman (HRS), Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL), Centre Hospitalier du Nord (CHdN), and Centre Emile Mayrisch (CHEM) – as well as colleagues from Centre François Baclesse (CFB) and Laboratoire National de Santé (LNS). Together, they aim to draw on the support and expertise of EUnetCCC partners to establish a joint CCCN, aligned with European quality standards.

There is a strong sense of momentum and optimism around this endeavour. Luxembourg was already involved in the previous Joint Action CraNE and successfully developed a pilot CCCN for Lung Cancer. Building on this experience, the participating institutions are now well-positioned to expand the CCCN approach to Gynaecological Cancers.

The event marked an important step in the EUnetCCC Joint Action’s goal to ensure that 90% of eligible patients in Europe have access to high-quality, comprehensive cancer care.

10/2025 Exchange. Collaborate. Advance. – 1st Knowledge Exchange Workshop & 2nd WP9 Meeting with CCCNs in Warsaw

From 22–24 October 2025, the German Cancer Society (DKG) and the Polish National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene – National Research Institute (NIZP PZH-PIB) hosted two important WP9 events in Warsaw as part of the Joint Action EUnetCCC: the 1st Knowledge Exchange Workshop (KEW) and the 2nd WP9 Meeting with up to 130 participants, on site and online.

In particular, the Knowledge Exchange Workshop marked a major achievement for WP9.
For the first time since the project’s start, all pilot Comprehensive Cancer Care Networks (CCCNs) came together to exchange experiences, progress, and challenges.

The KEW focused on key building blocks of CCCN implementation:

• Set of Standards – hands-on guidance for applying the self-assessment tool, presentation of the “Handbook for Setting up and Certifying CCCNs” including all available templates available for download, and input for certification preparations from the auditor’s perspective.
• Patient Pathways – how to develop and tailor tumour-specific patient pathways including an example how patient pathways can be digitalized and personalized from OKL Austria.
• Data Documentation – presentation of data specifications for the documentation of CCCN KPIs as well as insights from LSOC Poland that has developed its own tumour documentation system.

Beyond the technical discussions, the KEW provided a unique opportunity for mutual learning and networking, connecting CCCNs across Europe to exchange on practical implementation, governance structures, and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Building on this exchange, the 2nd WP9 Meeting followed on 23–24 October as the continuation of our WP9 KOM held in February 2025 in Berlin.

This second meeting focused on the further development of the CCCN model, including the presentation of the 3-tier CCCN concept, updates on the Set of Standards for Lung, Colorectal, Pancreatic and Prostate cancer, as well as Gynaecological Cancers and Quality Indicators for Colorectal Cancer. On top of that WP9 presented and discussed supporting tools for CCCN certification.

All these supporting instruments will assist our 15 CCCN pilots from 9 Member States, who had the opportunity to present themselves and share updates on their achievements.

Additionally, participants explored capacity building opportunities and synergies with other Work Packages (WP5, WP6, and WP8) as well as European initiatives such as JANE2 and the EC Quality Assurance Schemes.

We are deeply grateful for the active participation and commitment of our CCCN pilots and WP9 members from across Europe, who are
bringing so many engaged colleagues together in one place once again demonstrated the strength of collaboration and exchange in advancing high-quality, patient-centred cancer care in Europe.

We look forward to carrying this collaborative energy into the next phase, transforming shared insights into concrete progress and lasting improvement in cancer care across Europe.

09/2025 Opening Workshop at CCCN Pilot HSE West, Ireland

After a short summer break, our series of Opening Workshops within the EUnetCCC project resumed – this time at the West and North West Cancer Centre (HSE West) in Galway, Ireland.

The workshop on 24 September 2025 focused on the development of a Comprehensive Cancer Care Network (CCCN) for Lung Cancer.

HSE West and Northwest serve as the main stakeholders for cancer care in the region, covering around 15% of Ireland’s population (760,000 people).

With a designated NCCP Cancer Centre in Galway, the region provides complex multidisciplinary cancer care and coordinates tumour-specific pathways across multiple hospitals.

HSE West aims to strengthen its Rapid Access Lung Cancer Programme, enhance patient pathways, and expand the use of Patient Reported Experience Measure and Patient Reported Outcome Measures to improve the quality and patient experience of care. The centre also aspires to achieve peer review certification as part of its engagement in EUnetCCC, building on its existing OECI accreditation and involvement in other European initiatives.

During the workshop, participants discussed the EUnetCCC Set of Standards, regional disparities and challenges, and practical steps towards establishing a certified CCCN.

The meeting also highlighted the centre’s strong academic and clinical expertise, including extensive experience in lung cancer diagnostics, multidisciplinary team meetings, and international collaborations.

WP9 sincerely thanks our colleagues at HSE West for their hospitality and inspiring exchange during the workshop in Galway, which was a great way to kick off the autumn season of workshops.

We look forward to continuing collaboration within the European CCCN network to further expand access to high-quality, patient-centred cancer care across the continent.

09/2025 New Annual Reports 2025

The first round of Annual Reports 2025 are now  available for download. The Annual Reports show the results of tumour-specific indicators documented in 2023 and were verified through audits conducted in 2024. More Annual Reports of further certified Cancer Centres will be published in the course of September. In case of any questions please do not hesitate to contact us under info@ecc-cert.org.

06/2025 Opening Workshops at Greek CCCN Pilots

As part of the EUnetCCC project, we had the opportunity to participate in two Opening Workshops in Athens engaging with pilot sites for Comprehensive Cancer Care Networks (CCCNs). Held on June 24–25 2025, the Opening Workshops supported the development of structured, high-quality cancer care networks through interdisciplinary exchange and practical implementation strategies.

The first Opening Workshop took place at Attikon University Hospital, a major tertiary and academic centre in the western suburbs of Athens, a reference centre for Attica, Southern Greece, and nearby islands. As part of the JA EUnetCCC, the Attikon team is developing a certified Lung Cancer CCCN, committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centred cancer care. With strong ties to leading research institutions worldwide and extensive experience in EU-funded initiatives, Attikon University Hospital brings valuable clinical and academic expertise to the development of its Lung Cancer CCCN.

The second workshop was held at Alexandra Hospital, focusing on Gynaecological Cancers. They are specialized in the care of gynaecological malignancies and serves as a national reference centre across Greece. Within the JA EUnetCCC, this CCCN pilot aims to establish and implement patient pathways for Gynaecological Cancers and collaborate internationally on cancer care standards. A unique feature of this CCCN pilot: they also aiming for a Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs) certification within the JA EUnetCCC. This opens exciting opportunities to develop and strengthen the interfaces between CCCs and CCCNs structures.

The 1st Regional Health Authority of Greece, an active JA EUnetCCC partner, also participated in the workshops, bringing a system-level perspective on regional cancer care planning and governance.

Both of the Opening Workshops in Athens dove into the core of the tumour-specific CCCN Set of Standards — from governance and network structure to interdisciplinary collaboration and data documentation. On-site visits to clinical facilities gave valuable insights and meaningful professional exchange.

We sincerely thank our two pilot CCCNs, Attikon University Hospital and Alexandra Hospital, and the 1st Regional Health Authority of Greece for their hospitality and inspiring exchange. We look forward to continuing collaboration with them to expand access to high-quality cancer care across Europe.

05/2025 Opening Workshop at CCCN Pilot INT Pascale/ROC

Our sixth opening workshop on May 22 was dedicated to visit the IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale/ Rete Oncologica Campania (INT Pascale/ROC) in Naples, Italy.

INT Pascale is one of Italy’s leading Comprehensive Cancer Centres and is officially certified by the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) since 2021. The regional oncology network (ROC) was established in the Campania Region in 2016 and brings together all regional centres involved in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation, serving a population of 6 million residents with the goal to improve the quality, coordination, and accessibility of cancer care across the region.

During our opening workshop WP9 team had the opportunity to gain insights into the set up of the ROC, the interdisciplinary care approach and overall infrastructure of the INT Pascale. Together we discussed the Set of Standards for high quality Prostate Care including key performance indicators to measure the quality of care. Joining a MDT meeting to see the interdisciplinary case discussions first hand was a great opportunity for the WP9 delegation.

We extend our sincere thanks to our colleagues at INT Pascale/ROC for the engaging and productive exchange! We look forward to continuing the collaboration as we work together to improve the access to high-quality care for cancer patients throughout Europe.

05/2025 Opening Workshops at Polish CCCN Pilots

Three Days, Three Cities, Three Workshops – One Shared Goal: High-Quality Cancer Care in Europe

As part of the EUnetCCC project, a series of opening workshops took place in mid-May in Poland, engaging with three pilot Comprehensive Cancer Care Networks (CCCNs) over three days. These workshops aimed to advance the development of structured, high-quality tumour-specific cancer care networks across Europe.

From May 12th to 14th, three CCCN pilot sites hosted the sessions, each presenting their unique implemented care structures. The primary goal was to support the structured establishment of certified CCCNs through interdisciplinary exchange and practical implementation strategies.

The series started in Warsaw at the Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Institute of Oncology (MSCI), focusing on Prostate Cancer. As a leading oncology institution, MSCI is working on developing standardized patient pathways and quality indicators to enhance care. The workshop also addressed collaboration with national and European urology experts.

The second workshop was held in Lublin at the Medical University of Lublin (MUL) and University Hospital, focusing on Gynaecological Cancer. The CCCN at MUL aims to improve care pathways for gynaecological tumours. Emphasis was placed on integrating European best practices into clinical workflows.

The final workshop took place in Kielce at the Holy Cross Oncology Centre (HCOC), concentrating on Colorectal Cancer. The discussions focused on high-quality care standards, optimizing patient pathways, and ensuring continuous quality improvement by recording and analysing quality indicators and thus making quality of care transparent, measurable and improvable.

The workshops addressed core aspects in the Set of Standards which are essential for establishing CCCNs, including setting up the care network, its governance and interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration within the CCCN.Practical implementation strategies were discussed, focusing on timelines, data documentation and country-specific equivalences. Site visits provided insights into clinical infrastructure, fostering understanding and professional exchange.

Once again the workshops demonstrated the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to advance cancer care in Europe. The exchange of knowledge and experiences within the project has been invaluable, and great appreciation is extended to all partners and participants for their dedication and active involvement!

04/2025 Opening Workshop at CCCN Pilot VUL SK / NCC

On April 15, the second opening workshop with a pilot Comprehensive Cancer Care Network (CCCN) took place at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos / National Cancer Center (VUL SK / NCC) – a joint CCCN formed by the collaboration of the Hospital and the National Center.

The workshop provided a valuable opportunity to discuss the requirements and implementation steps for establishing a certified CCCN, with a specific focus on Colorectal Cancer care.

Participants also gained insights into VUL SK / NCC’s clinical infrastructure and interdisciplinary care models during a guided site visit.

As part of the EUnetCCC project, the German Cancer Society (DKG) and the Polish National Institute of Public Health National Institute of Hygiene–National Research Institute (NIZP PZH-PIB) are jointly coordinating Work Package 9. This work package is dedicated to supporting the structured implementation of CCCNs across Europe, with the goal of making high-quality cancer care accessible to patients as close to home as possible.

We thank our partners at VUL SK / NCC for the productive exchange and look forward to the next steps in our collaboration with all pilot CCCNs.