The European Union has officially launched the European Joint Action on Personalised Cancer Medicine (JA PCM), an ambitious initiative bringing together 29 European countries and more than 140 organisations with the aim of advancing more personalised, equitable, and evidence-based cancer care across Europe. The project is coordinated by Sciensano, the Belgian Institute of Public Health, and will run for four years.
The JA PCM aims to establish a sustainable cross-border network that promotes innovation and collaboration across all stages of the cancer care pathway: prevention, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and tertiary prevention, in alignment with the objectives of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.
The Valdecilla Health Research Institute (IDIVAL) is actively participating in this Joint Action through professionals from Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital (HUMV), specifically from the Departments of Pathology, led by José Javier Gómez Román, and Medical Oncology, led by Fernando Rivera Herrero.
Representing the team, Francisco Javier Freire Salinas, biologist at the Pathology Department of HUMV, attended the JA PCM Kick-off Meeting held in Brussels.
The IDIVAL/HUMV team plays a significant role within the area of personalised medicine (ARM II), contributing to both advanced diagnostics and cancer treatment. Their participation focuses on European pilot projects related to liquid biopsy using ctDNA, Molecular Tumour Boards (MTBs), and federated platforms for the continuous collection of clinical and molecular data, with the goal of improving equitable access to personalised therapies across Europe.
In addition, IDIVAL leads advanced training in Molecular Tumour Boards (MTBs) within the cross-cutting work package on education and quality (WP11), developing training materials and educational strategies aimed at Comprehensive Cancer Centres, thereby strengthening healthcare professionals’ skills and supporting the sustainable implementation of personalised medicine.
A comprehensive and coordinated qpproach to cancer care
During the opening of the kick-off meeting, Belgian Minister of Public Health and Social Affairs, Frank Vandenbroucke, highlighted the importance of the initiative:
“We must facilitate the exchange of best practices and support the development of common frameworks to reduce inequalities in access to personalised cancer medicine across Europe. Innovation should not widen gaps, but help close them.”
Marc Van den Bulcke, Director of the Belgian Cancer Centre (Sciensano) and Coordinator of the JA PCM, emphasised the need for a coordinated approach:
“Prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up must be addressed together to achieve maximum benefit for patients. Through pilot projects and collaborative activities, the JA PCM will connect research, healthcare systems, and the real needs of patients.”
Pilot projects to transform clinical practice
One of the central pillars of the JA PCM is the development of pilot projects and case studies demonstrating how to implement personalised oncology in clinical practice. These pilots will address seven key areas:
1. Risk-based cancer prevention.
2. Use of polygenic risk scores.
3. Genetic cancer predisposition throughout the patient’s lifetime.
4. Molecular Tumour Boards.
5. Innovative funding and risk-sharing models with evidence generation.
6. Liquid biopsy.
7. Digital innovation for remote monitoring.
These activities will be supported by cross-cutting actions in training, external quality assessment, ethical, legal and social aspects, health technology assessment, and data access.
A lasting European framework for personalised oncology.
With an unprecedented scale, the JA PCM seeks to accelerate collaboration among countries, strengthen European knowledge networks, and create synergies with other EU initiatives. The ultimate goal is to establish a lasting European framework for personalised oncology that is sustainable, measurable, and patient-centred, contributing to reducing inequalities and improving health outcomes.
