Cancer Core Europe: A translational research infrastructure for a European mission on cancer
- PMID: 30657633
- PMCID: PMC6396377
- DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12447
Cancer Core Europe: A translational research infrastructure for a European mission on cancer
Abstract
Cancer Core Europe is a European legal alliance consisting of seven leading cancer centres - most of them Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs) - with a single portal system to engage in various research projects with partners. Cancer Core Europe was established to create a sustainable, high-level, shared research infrastructure platform hosting research collaborations and task forces (data sharing, clinical trials, genomics, immunotherapy, imaging, education and training, and legal and ethical issues), with a controlled expansion agenda. Translational cancer research covers the cancer research continuum from basic to preclinical to early clinical, late clinical, and outcomes research. Basic-preclinical research serves as the 'engine' for early clinical research by bridging the early translational research gap and is the primary and current focus of the consortium as exemplified by the launching of the Basket of Baskets trial, Europe's largest precision cancer medicine trial. Inspired by the creation of Cancer Core Europe, the prevention community established Cancer Prevention Europe, a consortium of ten cancer prevention centres aimed at supporting the complete prevention research continuum. Presently, Cancer Core Europe and Cancer Prevention Europe are integrating therapeutics and prevention strategies to address in partnership the widening cancer problem. By providing innovative approaches for cancer research, links to healthcare systems, development of quality-assured multidisciplinary cancer care, and assessment of long-term outcomes, the virtual infrastructure will serve as a hub to connect and interact with other centres across Europe and beyond. Together, Cancer Core Europe and Cancer Prevention Europe are prepared to function as a central engine to tackle, in collaboration with various partners, a potential 'mission on cancer' addressing the cancer burden.
Keywords: alliance; cancer research; infrastructure; innovation; oncopolicy.
© 2019 The Authors. Published by FEBS Press and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Conflict of interest statement
In the past 5 years, Dr. Baumann attended an advisory board meeting of MERCK KGaA (Darmstadt), for which the University of Dresden received a travel grant. He further received funding for his research projects and for educational grants to the University of Dresden by Teutopharma GmbH (2011‐2015), IBA (2016), Bayer AG (2016‐2018), Merck KGaA (2016‐2030), Medipan GmbH (2014‐2018).
Dr. Baumann, as former chair of OncoRay (Dresden) and present CEO and Scientific Chair of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ, Heidelberg), signed/s contracts for his institute(s) and for the staff for research funding and collaborations with a multitude of companies worldwide.
For the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ, Heidelberg) Dr. Baumann is on the supervisory boards of HI‐STEM gGmbH (Heidelberg).
For the present study, Dr. Baumann confirms that none of the above mentioned funding sources were involved in the study design or materials used, nor in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data nor in the writing of the paper.
Alexander M. M. Eggermont declares Honoraria over the last 5 years for any speaker, consultancy or advisory role from: Actelion, Agenus, Bayer, BMS, CellDex, Ellipses, Gilead, GSK, HalioDX, Incyte, IO Biotech, ISA pharmaceuticals, MedImmune, Merck GmbH, MSD, Nektar, Novartis, Pfizer, Polynoma, Regeneron, RiverDx, Sanofi, Sellas, SkylineDx
For the present study, Dr. Eggermont confirms that none of the above mentioned funding sources were involved in the study design or materials used, nor in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data nor in the writing of the paper.
AMME, UR, and FC : Wrote first draft. Draft was sent out to all co‐authors and received comments from all co‐authors leading to final draft, that was approved by all co‐authors.
Figures

Similar articles
-
Cancer Core Europe: A European cancer research alliance realizing a research infrastructure with critical mass and programmatic approach to cure cancer in the 21st century.Eur J Cancer. 2018 Nov;103:155-159. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2018.08.023. Epub 2018 Sep 18. Eur J Cancer. 2018. PMID: 30241002
-
Towards a mission-oriented approach to cancer in Europe: an unmet need in cancer research policy.Mol Oncol. 2019 Mar;13(3):502-510. doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.12452. Epub 2019 Feb 1. Mol Oncol. 2019. PMID: 30657635 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Strategies to decrease inequalities in cancer therapeutics, care and prevention: Proceedings on a conference organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the European Academy of Cancer Sciences, Vatican City, February 23-24, 2023.Mol Oncol. 2024 Feb;18(2):245-279. doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.13575. Epub 2024 Jan 22. Mol Oncol. 2024. PMID: 38135904 Free PMC article.
-
The Porto European Cancer Research Summit 2021.Mol Oncol. 2021 Oct;15(10):2507-2543. doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.13078. Epub 2021 Sep 13. Mol Oncol. 2021. PMID: 34515408 Free PMC article.
-
European Groundshot-addressing Europe's cancer research challenges: a Lancet Oncology Commission.Lancet Oncol. 2023 Jan;24(1):e11-e56. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(22)00540-X. Epub 2022 Nov 16. Lancet Oncol. 2023. PMID: 36400101 Review.
Cited by
-
Quality-assured research environments for translational cancer research.Mol Oncol. 2019 Mar;13(3):543-548. doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.12441. Epub 2019 Feb 22. Mol Oncol. 2019. PMID: 30628170 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Describing the Core Attributes and Impact of Comprehensive Cancer Centers Internationally: A Chronological Scoping Review.Cancers (Basel). 2025 Mar 18;17(6):1023. doi: 10.3390/cancers17061023. Cancers (Basel). 2025. PMID: 40149356 Free PMC article. Review.
-
What will radiation oncology look like in 2050? A look at a changing professional landscape in Europe and beyond.Mol Oncol. 2020 Jul;14(7):1577-1585. doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.12731. Epub 2020 Jun 30. Mol Oncol. 2020. PMID: 32463984 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Biomedical Research Goes Viral: Dangers and Opportunities.Cell. 2020 Jun 11;181(6):1189-1193. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.05.014. Epub 2020 May 11. Cell. 2020. PMID: 32442404 Free PMC article.
-
Radiation Oncology - Towards a mission-oriented approach to cancer.Mol Oncol. 2020 Jul;14(7):1429-1430. doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.12730. Mol Oncol. 2020. PMID: 32615032 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
References
-
- Calvo F, Apolone G, Baumann M, Caldas C, Celis JE, De Lorenzo F, Ernberg I, Ringborg U, Rowell J, Tabernero J et al (2018) Cancer Core Europe: A European cancer research alliance realizing a research infrastructure with critical mass and programmatic approach to cure cancer in the 21st century. Eur J Cancer 103, 155–159. - PubMed
-
- Cherny NI, Sullivan R, Torode J, Saar M and Eniu A (2016) ESMO European Consortium Study on the availability, out‐of‐pocket costs and accessibility of antineoplastic medicines in Europe. Ann Oncol 27, 1423–1443. - PubMed
-
- Corbett S, Courtiol A, Lummaa V, Moorad J and Stearns S (2018) The transition to modernity and chronic disease: mismatch and natural selection. Nat Rev Genet 19, 419–430. - PubMed
-
- Eggermont AM, Caldas C, Ringborg U, Medema R, Tabernero J, Wiestler O (2014) Cancer Core Europe: a consortium to address the cancer care‐cancer research continuum challenge. Eur J Cancer 50, 2745–2746. - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Miscellaneous