Europe’s Mission on Cancer: European network of National Cancer Mission Hubs enters ambitious new phase through

• Following the establishment of National Cancer Mission Hubs in 17 countries, the EU-funded project ECHoS (Establishing Cancer Mission Hubs: Networks and Synergies) is launching an ambitious second phase to further strengthen and expand the network.
• The NKC-hub, the Dutch Cancer Mission Hub of the Netherlands Cancer Collective, is connected to the European network as the national hub. IKNL, NFK and Health-RI will represent the Netherlands as active partners in the ECHoS consortium during the kick-off meeting in Lisbon next week.
• With €15 million in funding from Horizon Europe’s Mission on Cancer, ECHoS brings together 61 organisations from 30 countries to strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange and support the implementation of Europe’s cancer ambitions at national, regional and local level

Cancer remains one of the most urgent public challenges in Europe. By supporting the development of National Cancer Mission Hubs and fostering collaboration, ECHoS contributes to the long-term goals of the EU Mission on Cancer and the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

EU Mission on Cancer

In 2019, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen identified cancer as one of Europe’s major societal challenges, placing the fight against cancer high on the European political agenda. This commitment was backed by a budget of more than €4 billion, distributed through various funding instruments, including the EU Mission on Cancer.

The EU Mission on Cancer aims to improve the lives of more than three million people affected by cancer by 2030. This ambition is pursued through thirteen ambitious recommendations. Together, these recommendations cover the full spectrum of cancer prevention and care, from improving our understanding of cancer and strengthening prevention efforts to early detection, screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and quality of life after cancer.

To translate the ambitions of the EU Mission on Cancer into action at national, regional and local level, countries across Europe are establishing National Cancer Mission Hubs. These hubs connect European ambitions with national cancer plans, policy, research, healthcare, civil society organisations and citizens. The development of this network is part of the ECHoS project, coordinated by the Portuguese Agency for Clinical Research and Biomedical Innovation (AICIB).

The next phase begins in Lisbon

The kick-off meeting will take place from 9 to 11 September 2026 in Lisbon and marks the start of the second phase of ECHoS. During the event, the key achievements of the first phase will be celebrated, including the recognition of 17 National Cancer Mission Hubs across Europe. At the same time, participants will set the direction for the network's next five years.

In addition to consortium partners, representatives of the European Commission and other leading international organisations in the health sector will attend. The wider public is welcome to join the public session on 10 September, which will be livestreamed via the ECHoS YouTube-channel.

The NKC Hub is the Dutch Cancer Mission Hub

The NKC Hub, established by the Netherlands Cancer Collective, has been recognised within ECHoS as the National Cancer Mission Hub for the Netherlands and is connected to the European network. IKNL, NFK and Health-RI are official consortium partners.

Within the second phase of ECHoS, each Dutch partner has a distinct role:

• NKC hub: the Dutch Cancer Mission Hub. It connects the Netherlands Cancer Agenda (in Dutch) and the organisations working towards its goals to the European network, contributes Dutch knowledge and experience, and brings insights and lessons from other countries back to the Netherlands. 
• NFK: consortium partner contributing to several work areas. Within ECHoS II, NFK provides important Dutch expertise in research among people affected by cancer. Patient perspectives are systematically collected, interpreted and used, including through the national initiative Donate Your Experience (in Dutch).
• Health-RI: consortium partner contributing to several work areas through the Dutch health data infrastructure and linking ECHoS to other European projects, such as CANDLE, which Health-RI coordinates.
• IKNL: plays a major role in the second phase of ECHoS and leads two key tasks. It supports the Cancer Mission Hubs in adopting a more data-driven approach based on cancer and quality registries. In addition, IKNL strengthens communication and dissemination activities across the hubs, helping ensure that results reach the right audiences rather than remaining confined to reports. 

From their different roles, the NKC Hub, IKNL, NFK and Health-RI work closely together within ECHoS. Together, they connect the Dutch approach with the European network and exchange knowledge and experience across borders.

From foundation to a lasting European network

ECHoS brings together 61 organisations from 30 countries and supports collaboration between patients, researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, civil society organisations and industry.

In the words of Anabela Isidro and Hugo Soares, coordinators of the ECHoS project:

ECHoS and the National Cancer Mission Hubs give countries the opportunity to connect citizens, patients, researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers and the wider community of stakeholders. By bringing these voices closer together, we discover new ways of working and improve the quality of cancer research, cancer care and policy across Europe.

Carla van Laer, Programme Manager of the Netherlands Cancer Collective and the Dutch Cancer Mission Hub:

Through the Netherlands Cancer Agenda, the Netherlands already has a shared direction: twenty goals developed and supported by the Collective. What makes our approach unique in Europe is its bottom-up nature, with acceleration teams for each goal bringing together patients, healthcare professionals, researchers and policymakers to drive implementation. We share this approach with the European network. The first phase of ECHoS focused primarily on building hubs. Over the next five years, the key question will be whether those hubs truly work and deliver value for patients.

Over the next five years, ECHoS-2 and the network of European Cancer Mission Hubs will provide opportunities to continue learning, collaborating and further developing this approach. Through initiatives such as a training programme, demonstration projects and peer learning activities, ECHoS supports the role of National Cancer Mission Hubs in translating European ambitions into concrete action within Member States.

By bringing countries and stakeholders across the cancer community closer together, the project aims to create a lasting foundation for better coordinated action across Europe.

About the Netherlands Cancer Collective

The Netherlands Cancer Collective is an open movement of organisations, professionals and people with lived experience working together to improve life before, during and after cancer. The collective is united by the twenty goals of the Netherlands Cancer Agenda, which provide a shared direction for action. The NKC Hub supports this movement by facilitating collaboration around these goals, supporting progress and connecting organisations. The NKC Hub serves as the Dutch Cancer Mission Hub and is linked to the European network.

About NFK

The Dutch Federation of Cancer Patient Organisations (NFK) is the umbrella organisation representing 22 cancer patient organisations in the Netherlands. Together, they advocate for everyone affected by cancer. 

About Health-RI

Health-RI is building a national health data infrastructure to make health data more accessible and reusable for research, policy and innovation. Health-RI coordinates the EU-funded CANDLE project on cancer data nodes.

About AICIB

The Portuguese Agency for Clinical Research and Biomedical Innovation (AICIB) was established in 2018 by decision of the Portuguese Council of Ministers. Its mission is to promote, coordinate and support activities in clinical research, translational research and biomedical innovation. AICIB coordinates ECHoS.

About IKNL

IKNL (Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation) aims to reduce the impact of cancer at both individual and societal level. The Netherlands Cancer Registry forms the foundation of its work. IKNL is a partner in the ECHoS consortium. 

For more information, contact Jolanda Sinha - IKNL via j.sinha@iknl.nl.