From advances in blood-based biomarkers for lung cancer screening to new evidence on physical activity, proteomics, breast cancer research and European funding opportunities, this roundup brings together some of the latest developments shaping cancer prevention, early detection, research and policy.

Blood test and lung cancer screening
Blood-based test may improve selection of individuals for LDCT lung cancer screening
Category: Lung Cancer

IARC reports a new study suggesting that a blood-based test could improve the selection of individuals who should be offered lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography. The study was conducted by IARC and partners from the Lung Cancer Cohort Consortium and was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. IARC explains that LDCT screening can reduce lung cancer mortality among high-risk people with a smoking history, but many lung cancers occur among individuals who are not currently eligible for screening. This limits the overall impact of existing screening criteria. The study validates the protein-based INTEGRAL-Risk model as a possible way to refine eligibility and identify people who may benefit from screening. The approach could help make screening strategies more targeted by adding biomarker information to traditional risk assessment. Although this item is dated 18 May 2026 and therefore falls outside the original June-only window, it is included here because it was specifically provided for inclusion and it is not a duplicate of the June lung cancer items already selected.

Direct link: https://www.iarc.who.int/news-events/new-study-finds-that-blood-test-could-increase-the-impact-of-lung-cancer-screening-with-low-dose-computed-tomography

A prospective study of physical activity and cardiometabolic diseases in association with cancer risk
Physical activity remains associated with lower cancer risk among people with and without cardiometabolic diseases
Category: Prevention

IARC reports on a prospective study led by its researchers with European and international collaborators, examining the association between physical activity, cardiometabolic diseases and cancer risk. The study found that people who were more physically active had a lower risk of developing cancer, and that this association was observed in adults with and without cardiometabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This finding is important because these chronic conditions are common and often coexist with cancer-related risk factors, making prevention strategies especially relevant for people already managing long-term health issues. The research supports the role of physical activity as a broad preventive measure across different population groups, rather than as a recommendation limited to people without existing disease. It also reinforces the need to integrate cancer prevention with wider chronic disease prevention policies, including lifestyle counselling, public health planning and clinical guidance. By showing that the association between activity and lower cancer risk remains present even among people with cardiometabolic disease, the study adds useful evidence for prevention programmes aiming to reduce cancer burden through achievable behavioural interventions.

Direct link: https://www.iarc.who.int/news-events/a-prospective-study-of-physical-activity-and-cardiometabolic-diseases-in-association-with-cancer-risk

Proteomics of multimorbidity progression across cardiometabolic diseases and cancer in a multinational cohort
Blood-based protein markers linked to multimorbidity progression across chronic diseases and cancer
Category: Prevention

IARC reports a new international study led by its scientists on protein markers shared across common chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Researchers analysed blood samples from 13,270 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study. The aim was to identify protein signatures associated with multimorbidity and with transitions from a healthy state to cardiometabolic disease and then to cancer. The study suggests that some chronic diseases may share biological pathways, which can help researchers better understand how different conditions develop together over time. The findings may support more integrated approaches to prevention and early detection, especially when cancer risk overlaps with metabolic and cardiovascular risk. The research also shows the potential of proteomics for studying disease progression in large population cohorts and for identifying biological signals that appear before or alongside clinical disease. This approach may help future work on risk stratification, biomarker discovery and prevention strategies that address cancer within the broader context of chronic disease.

Direct link: https://www.iarc.who.int/news-events/proteomics-of-multimorbidity-progression-across-cardiometabolic-diseases-and-cancer-in-a-multinational-cohort

Long-term health risks of e-cigarettes after smoking cessation
Evidence discussion on e-cigarette use after quitting smoking and lung cancer outcomes
Category: Lung Cancer

IARC reports on a News & Views article published in Nature Medicine by an IARC researcher and a collaborator from the University of California San Francisco. The article discusses a study based on data from 4.5 million ever-smokers in the Republic of Korea. The study examined e-cigarette use after smoking cessation and subsequent outcomes related to lung cancer risk and mortality. According to the IARC summary, the findings suggest that using e-cigarettes after quitting smoking may reduce some of the health benefits normally associated with smoking cessation, particularly in relation to lung cancer. The commentary considers the strengths of the research, the limits of the evidence and the remaining questions requiring further study. The topic is directly connected to tobacco control and prevention strategies, especially because e-cigarettes are often discussed as alternatives for smokers trying to quit. The article helps frame e-cigarette use not only as a smoking cessation issue, but also as a longer-term cancer prevention concern that may need careful communication in clinical and public health settings.

Direct link: https://www.iarc.who.int/news-events/long-term-health-risks-of-e-cigarettes-after-smoking-cessation

Cancers: the hidden face of viruses
An ongoing exhibition on viruses, cancer prevention and therapeutic innovation
Category: Awareness

IARC announces a new exhibition co-presented with the Dr Mérieux Biological Sciences Museum in Lyon and Marcy-l’Étoile. The exhibition, titled “Cancers: the hidden face of viruses,” explores the relationship between viruses and cancer. IARC explains that scientists have identified nine viruses capable of contributing to certain cancers in humans and that around one in twelve cancers worldwide is caused by a virus. The exhibition also presents another side of the same topic by showing how some viruses can be used as therapeutic tools, including approaches that may stimulate the immune system against cancer. The initiative is designed for public awareness and scientific communication, with content available in French and English across two sites. Since the exhibition is scheduled to run for one year, it is not a concluded event and remains accessible beyond June 2026. The exhibition connects cancer prevention, infection-related cancers, public education and therapeutic innovation, making it suitable for an awareness-focused cancer update addressed to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Direct link: https://www.iarc.who.int/news-events/le-circ-et-le-musee-de-sciences-biologiques-docteur-merieux-co-presentent-lexposition-inedite-cancers-la-face-cachee-des-virus

EU grants access to funding under the EU4Health programme to the Republic of North Macedonia
EU4Health funding access to support prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, including cancer
Category: Prevention

The European Commission’s public health site announces that the Republic of North Macedonia will gain access to funding opportunities under the EU4Health programme. The agreement applies retroactively from 1 January 2026 and allows public and private health sector entities in the country to participate in open calls, direct grants and joint actions. The Commission explains that these opportunities can support improvements in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care in critical health areas, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer. The announcement is broader than oncology alone, but it is connected to cancer policy because EU4Health is one of the main instruments used to strengthen health system resilience, disease prevention, health data, access to care and implementation of European health priorities. For North Macedonia, participation creates the possibility to join European-level health projects and cooperation mechanisms that may include cancer-related activities, services and reforms. The measure may also support alignment with EU health policy frameworks and give national stakeholders access to collaborative funding routes relevant to cancer prevention and care.

Direct link: https://health.ec.europa.eu/latest-updates/eu-grants-access-funding-under-eu4health-programme-republic-north-macedonia-2026-06-24_en

Joint Call JTC 2026: Translational Research on Cancer Metabolism
Funding call for translational research on cancer metabolism
Category: Upcoming Events

TRANSCAN-4 launches its first Joint Transnational Call for research proposals, JTC 2026, on “Translational Research on Cancer Metabolism: Multidisciplinary Approaches for Diagnosis and Treatment.” The call invites international research consortia to submit projects focused on cancer metabolism and its clinical applications. The programme highlights the importance of understanding metabolic reprogramming in cancer, including how tumour cells adapt their energy production, interact with the tumour microenvironment and develop vulnerabilities that may be used for diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. The call focuses on two main areas: improving cancer diagnostics and monitoring through metabolic biomarkers, and intercepting metabolic vulnerabilities to support precision medicine. Eligible projects may address metabolic imaging, biomarker signatures, therapeutic targets, repurposed treatments, advanced models and clinically relevant translational approaches. The call also encourages interdisciplinary work involving fields such as molecular biology, clinical oncology, nutrition science, microbiology, pharmacology, computational biology and artificial intelligence. Participating funding organisations include institutions from several European and international countries, including Italy through the Ministry of Health, Lombardy Region and Tuscany Region.

Direct link: https://transcan.eu/funding/calls/joint-call-jtc-2026-.kl 

The Official Open-Access Repository

We are pleased to announce the launch of the EUCanScreen Zenodo Community, the project’s official open-access repository for scientific, technical and communication outputs.

A Central Hub

It serves as a central hub for preserving, sharing, and promoting the knowledge and resources generated throughout the project. The community includes publications, datasets, deliverables, reports, presentations, software, policy briefs, training materials, and communication assets such as social media content, campaign materials, newsletters, infographics, videos, and other dissemination resources.

DOIs

By providing persistent identifiers (DOIs) and ensuring long-term accessibility, the repository supports Open Science principles, enhances the visibility and impact of EUCanScreen results, and enables researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, communication practitioners, and the wider public to discover, cite, and reuse project outputs.

Explore the EUCanScreen Zenodo Community

Breast Cancer Etiology

IARC reports that The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research is supporting a postdoctoral fellowship focused on breast cancer etiology in low- and middle-income countries.

Breast Cancer Fellowship

The fellowship is held by Dr Hedda Michelle Guevara-Nieto, who is working at IARC on research involving patients with breast cancer from populations that remain underrepresented in global cancer studies. The project combines integrative genomic profiling with demographic information, anthropometric measures and histopathological data.

Objectives

One of its main objectives is to better understand how obesity may influence breast cancer development, including possible links with DNA damage and impaired DNA repair mechanisms. The initiative also supports the professional development of an early-career scientist while strengthening research capacity in an area where more evidence is needed.

Focusing on Low- and Middle-Income Countries

By focusing on low- and middle-income countries, the project addresses important gaps in knowledge about breast cancer biology, risk factors and disparities. The research may help clarify how metabolic and biological factors contribute to breast cancer in diverse populations, supporting future work on prevention, risk assessment and more equitable cancer research.

Read more: https://www.iarc.who.int/news-events/the-mark-foundation-for-cancer-research-provides-essential-support-to-iarc-through-a-postdoctoral-fellowship-focusing-on-breast-cancer-etiology-in-low-and-middle-income-countries 

CLARA – Cervical Cancer Control through Equitable Access to Quality Services is Romania’s newest national effort to strengthen its cervical cancer screening programme.

Launched in December 2025 and running for 46 months, until October 2029, CLARA is financed under Romania’s Health Programme 2021–2027 and co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus. By the end of the project, Romania aims to expand equal, timely, and non-discriminatory access to safe, patient-centred cervical cancer prevention and treatment services, while laying the foundations for a sustainable, quality-assured national screening programme.

A national coalition for organised screening

CLARA brings together the main institutions and partners involved in cervical cancer screening in Romania. The project is led by the “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest, in partnership with Romania’s National Institute of Public Health, the three Institutes of Oncology in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Iași, and five regional hospitals in Târgu Mureș, Constanța, Craiova, Timișoara, and Pitești. Two civil-society organisations, the Coalition of Romania’s Chronic Patients’ Organisations (COPAC-RO) and the Romanian Association of Midwives, strengthen the consortium’s capacity to reach communities and support women along the screening pathway.

Together, these twelve institutions are working on several priorities at once: updating the national screening methodology, training around 700 medical and non-medical professionals, consolidating the cervical cancer screening registry, and establishing five new regional prevention centres. Their shared objective is to make screening more coordinated, accessible, and equitable, regardless of where a woman lives or the barriers, she may face in accessing care.

A key element of this work is the National Scientific Board, led by the Romanian Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The Board brings together gynaecologists, public health experts, laboratory and cytology specialists, oncologists, and academic representatives. It has recently completed the updated methodology for Romania’s cervical cancer screening programme through a consensus process.

The methodology is aligned with European Commission Initiative on Cervical Cancer and includes a dedicated chapter on governance, drawing on the sustainability assessment tool developed under EUCanScreen Work Package 4. This connection is particularly important for EUCanScreen, whose work supports countries in strengthening governance, quality, monitoring, and sustainability across cancer screening programmes.

The Scientific Board is also supporting the development of a comprehensive screening registry. The registry will collect data across the full screening pathway, from invitations and test results to colposcopy, pathology, and treatment of precancerous lesions. It will also provide many of the indicators required for the Third EU Cancer Screening Report and will be interconnected with the national cancer registry.

In parallel, the Board has developed the training curriculum for the professionals involved in the programme, with 700 healthcare and community-level workers expected to be trained over the next two years.

The courses will employ the knowledge and skills of the Romanian specialists who will be trained through WP 11 of the EUCanScreen Project.

Reaching women who are too often left out

CLARA’s equity ambition is most visible in its outreach component. The project aims to reach more than 217,000 women from vulnerable or socio-economically disadvantaged communities  women for whom a screening invitation letter, however carefully designed, is rarely enough. Reaching them requires trusted people from within or close to the community, communicating in ways that are familiar, respectful, and accessible.

The Romanian Association of Midwives plays a central role in this outreach. The midwives go directly into communities, delivering face-to-face education sessions in local centres and rural settlements on female reproductive health, HPV infection, HPV vaccination, cervical cancer screening, and children’s immunisation. Sessions are delivered in culturally appropriate language and, where needed, in Romanian, Hungarian, and other ethnic minorities languages, helping ensure that information is not only provided but understood.

This work builds the health literacy and trust that must exist before women who have limited contact with the health system can feel confident coming forward for screening. Midwives are particularly well placed to support this process, drawing on three decades of professional association work and long-standing engagement with vulnerable and underserved women across Romania.

From community conversations to screening pathways

CLARA does not stop at information. Women reached through community activities will receive long-term support, case management, and guidance in accessing healthcare services available within the project. From prevention and screening to medical follow-up, the initiative aims to create a continuous pathway of care adapted to the realities of each community. In doing so, Romania’s cervical cancer screening efforts reflect EUCanScreen’s broader mission: to support sustainable, high-quality, and equitable cancer screening across Europe.

By 2029, CLARA aims to leave behind more than increased screening participation. Its longer-term contribution will be a stronger national screening system, better data, trained professionals, regional prevention capacity, and community partnerships capable of continuing to reach women who need these services most.

CLARA’s nationwide partnership, built on strong clinical and academic infrastructure paired with genuine, community-level trust-building is now matched by a close collaboration with EUCanScreen. For Romania, a country that has long carried one of Europe’s highest cervical cancer burdens, this convergence could not have come at a better time, it is exactly what allows a national screening programme to be built the way it will last, steadily and surely.

Building a Network of Early Detection

Cancer remains one of Romania’s most significant public health challenges. Around 300,000 people are currently living with a cancer diagnosis, while the risk of dying from cancer before the age of 75 is approximately 14%. In response, Romania has made the development of organized, population-based, quality-assured cancer screening programmes a national priority, aiming to ensure equitable access for all citizens.

Here is where that work stands today, programme by programme, followed by a look at the wider European collaboration that has helped shape it.

From Opportunistic Testing to National Programmes

Until 2012, Romania had no organized national cancer screening programme. That year, building on a successful regional pilot in the country’s North-West, the Ministry of Health introduced the first nationally funded early detection initiative through opportunistic cervical cancer screening with Pap smear testing.

A major milestone followed in 2016 with the first draft of Romania’s National Cancer Control Plan, developed through the country’s participation in the European Joint Actions EPAAC and CanCon. Since then, Romania has steadily expanded from a single screening initiative into a growing network of organized programmes supported by European collaboration, quality assurance systems, and national monitoring frameworks coordinated by the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) together with universities, oncology institutes, and professional societies.

CLARA: Transforming Cervical Cancer Screening

Romania has long recorded the highest cervical cancer mortality rate in the European Union, largely due to decades of opportunistic rather than organized screening.

The CLARA programme, funded through the European Social Fund Plus and led by Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy with INSP as a core partner, is establishing Romania’s first fully organized population-based cervical cancer screening programme.

The programme introduces HPV testing as the primary screening method, complemented by self-sampling options to reach women facing barriers to healthcare access. It also includes standardized follow-up pathways, comprehensive quality assurance, patient communication materials, regional prevention centres, mobile screening units, a unified electronic patient registry, and training for approximately 700 healthcare professionals. More than 200,000 vulnerable women are expected to benefit from the programme.

ROCCAS: Expanding Colorectal Cancer Screening

Romania’s colorectal cancer screening programme, ROCCAS, began as regional pilots between 2019 and 2020 across four development regions.

Adults aged 50–74 were invited to complete a fecal immunochemical test (FIT), followed by colonoscopy for positive cases. Acceptance rates ranged from 89% to 99%, demonstrating strong public participation.

Following the successful pilots, ROCCAS is now progressing towards nationwide implementation, with INSP coordinating monitoring systems, reporting mechanisms, and quality assurance procedures.

DARIA: Romania’s First Organized Breast Cancer Screening Programme

Until recently, access to breast cancer screening in Romania depended largely on opportunistic mammography, often paid for by patients themselves.

The DARIA programme, led by the Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuță Oncology Institute in Cluj-Napoca, is changing this landscape by establishing Romania’s first organized national breast cancer screening programme.

Through 2029, DARIA will provide free mammography to more than 119,000 women aged 50–69, focusing particularly on underserved populations, including uninsured, unemployed, and marginalized communities. The programme will also establish regional prevention centres, mobile screening units, an electronic patient registry, and train approximately 600 healthcare professionals. Screening is expected to begin in August 2026.

Launching Lung Cancer Screening

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death among Romanian men.

Following the European Council’s 2022 recommendation on low-dose CT (LDCT) screening for high-risk smokers, Romania has launched a national pilot coordinated by the Marius Nasta National Institute of Pneumology, with INSP as a core partner.

The pilot is developing screening methodologies, public awareness materials, and monitoring indicators that will support the future implementation of an organized national lung cancer screening programme.

European Collaboration Driving Progress

Romania’s progress has been strengthened through extensive collaboration with European initiatives that provide shared expertise, methodologies, quality standards, and practical experience.

Among these initiatives, EUCanScreen plays a central role by supporting Romania in developing sustainable governance structures, quality assurance systems, and organized screening programmes for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers, while helping prepare future programmes for lung, prostate, and gastric cancers.

Romania also participates in several complementary European projects:

• CBIG-SCREEN, focusing on increasing cervical screening participation among underserved populations through innovative approaches such as self-sampling.
• SOLACE, supporting equitable implementation of lung cancer screening using low-dose CT.
• PRAISE-U, whose risk-based prostate cancer screening research provides valuable evidence that Romania is following closely while preparing for future implementation.

Alongside these projects, Romania is adapting European quality assurance guidelines, strengthening health information systems, and building the professional capacity required to sustain organized screening programmes.

Building Capacity Through Academic and Professional Leadership

Romanian universities and professional societies play a crucial role in translating scientific evidence into national clinical practice.

Institutions including Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy and the Universities of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca, Craiova, and Iași work alongside professional organizations such as the Romanian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Romanian Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the Society of Family Doctors, and the College of Physicians of Romania to develop clinical guidelines, training curricula, and quality standards.

These collaborations ensure that screening programmes are not only designed according to international recommendations but are also effectively implemented by well-trained healthcare professionals across the country.

A Coordinated National Effort

Together, Romania’s screening programmes form the foundation of the National Cancer Control Plan (2023–2030) and contribute to the objectives of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

Supported by funding from the European Social Fund Plus, the European Regional Development Fund, and EU4Health, each programme is progressing at its own pace—from well-established cervical screening to emerging lung cancer pilots—but all share the same ambition: detecting cancer earlier, improving survival, and ensuring that high-quality screening becomes accessible to every eligible citizen across Romania.

ECHoS Holds Final Meeting in St Julian’s, Malta

On 23–24 June, the European project ECHoS (Establishing Cancer Mission Hubs: Networks and Synergies) held its final meeting in St Julian’s, Malta, bringing together project partners, representatives of European initiatives, and experts from across Europe. The event showcased the achievements of the past three years, including progress in establishing National Cancer Mission Hubs and strengthening collaboration with other European initiatives, while also marking the transition to the project’s next phase.

Establishing National Cancer Mission Hubs Across Europe

The main objective of ECHoS is to advance cancer research, innovation and healthcare by establishing National Cancer Mission Hubs. These hubs will serve as collaborative platforms bringing together government institutions, hospitals, universities, researchers, patient organisations and other stakeholders to support evidence-based cancer policies and facilitate the implementation of European initiatives at national level. The project involved 30 countries, resulting in the establishment of 17 National Cancer Mission Hubs across Europe, including in Poland, Greece, Malta, the Netherlands, Croatia, Sweden, Italy and Finland.

A Key Project Under the EU Cancer Mission

ECHoS is one of the projects contributing to the European Union’s Cancer Mission, which aims to improve the understanding of cancer, cancer prevention and early detection, treatment and quality of life, while reducing inequalities in cancer care across Europe. Achieving these goals requires close collaboration between healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, patient organisations and other stakeholders – an approach that lies at the heart of the ECHoS project.

Key Achievements and the Transition to ECHoS 2

The final meeting highlighted several key achievements, including the organisation of 14 policy dialogues, successfully organised two Cancer Mission Fairs, established synergies with 17 European initiatives, including EUCanScreen, EUnetCCC and JANE-2. Partners also presented a Business Continuity Model aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability of the National Cancer Mission Hubs and supporting the establishment of a European network, which will form the foundation for the next phase of the project, ECHoS 2, launching in July. The new phase will focus on strengthening the capacity of the hubs and ensuring their continued development.

EUCanScreen at the ECHoS Final Meeting

EUCanScreen was represented at the event by Sindija Kiršteine from the University of Latvia, the project’s coordinating institution.