A Successful Kick-Off for eCAN Plus Joint Action in Brussels

Nearly 140 professionals from across Europe gathered to mark the beginning of this ambitious EU4Health initiative, aimed at strengthening digital capabilities in cancer centres throughout the EU.

Mission

To ensure that all citizens, patients, and healthcare professionals’ benefit from digital innovation in cancer care.
 
The eCAN Plus mission:

• Develop digital skills through tailored training in telemedicine, remote monitoring, and e-health tools
• Enhance collaboration within and across cancer centres
• Deploy telemedicine solutions in clinical settings
• Build an EU-wide framework for remote monitoring and hashtag#healthdata reuse, fully aligned with EU regulations.

Think aloud sessions

Throughout the day, the 9 Work Package leads presented an overview of the work ahead. 

Two engaging "think aloud" sessions with both internal and external experts explored key themes:

• Facilitating health data exchanges between cancer centres
• Improving the eCAN app and dashboard.

Knowledge sharing is crucial

Of course, some of the most valuable insights emerged over a cup of coffee where informal conversations sparked new ideas and helped build the trust essential for cross-border collaboration.

As with all Joint Actions, sharing knowledge across existing EU cancer initiatives is crucial. There's no one-size-fits-all solution: improving support for cancer patients requires cross-sectoral and cross-country collaboration, underpinned by clear communication.

Denmarks role

Denmark plays a central role in Work Package 6, working closely with partners across Europe.

Our focus includes two use cases:

• Virtual Tumor Boards
• Cross-sectoral digital collaboration.

We’ll also map the current landscape of digital infrastructure, particularly how transitions between centers and care sectors are supported. These insights will underpin recommendations to shape the future of cancer care in Europe.

While Denmark has a strong tradition in cancer treatment, we’re eager to learn from other EU countries—and we believe this Joint Action is an opportunity to ensure every member state benefits, especially those with fewer resources.

We know the road ahead will be challenging at times—but we can’t wait to get started, and we look forward to sharing our progress with you.