Mission and goals
EURACAN is part of the 24 European Reference Networks (ERNs) funded by the European Commission and dedicated to rare diseases. EURACAN is the ERN for Rare Adult Solid Tumours.
The network comprises 102 highly specialised cancer centres across 25 European countries, 12 European Patient Advocacy Groups, international scientific societies and national rare cancer networks.
The mission of EURACAN, based on its network of expert centres, is to share expertise and improve access to care for patients across the European Union.
Further goals of the network are:
- To increase and facilitate access for patients with rare adult solid cancers to expert centres, disease information, treatment options and better and safer healthcare.
- To fully and proactively involve patient advocacy groups who support patients with rare adult solid cancers and assist them in the wide dissemination of relevant information about these diseases.
- Develop and continuously update Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs).
- Train the next generation of healthcare professionals willing to specialise in rare adult cancer care.
About rare adult solid cancers
Rare cancers represent 24% of all human cancers but cause 30% of all cancer deaths (source). Each year in Europe, nearly 500,000 people will be diagnosed with a rare cancer. Rare cancers represent an extremely fragmented group of diseases. There are probably over 300 different rare cancer entities, as defined by an incidence under 6/100,000/year. Within these rare cancer groups, there is a further fragmentation with many different histological or molecular subtypes. The ERN EURACAN covers all rare adult solid cancers, dividing them into ten groups:
- Connective tissue (sarcomas)
- Female genital organs and placenta
- Male genital organs and unitary tract
- Neuroendocrine system
- Digestive tract
- Endocrine organs
- Head and neck
- Thorax
- Rare skin cancers and eye melanoma
- Brain and spinal cord
Our team
The Coordination team is based at the Comprehensive Cancer Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
Cancer group leaders
Work package leaders
Advisory board
Matti AAPRO - Switzerland
MD, UICC Board member, Past-President, European Cancer Organisation (ECO), international Committee member, ECO, Switzerland
Tit ALBREHT - Slovenia
Assist. Prof. MD, PhD, Head of the Centre for Health Care, President-elect of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), National Institute of Public Health researcher for health services and health systems at the National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia
Jyoti BAJPAI - India
MD, Medical Oncologist - Tate Memorial Cancer Centre, India
Bruna DAVID - Brazil
MD, PhD, medical oncologist, National Cancer Institute of Brazil
Ian DAVIS - Australia
Professor of Medicine, Monash University and Eastern Health Head, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University and Deakin University, Australia
Akira KAWAI - Japan
MD, PhD, Head of Musculoskeletal Oncology and Rehabilitation Medicine at National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
Hiroyuki MANO - Japan
MD,PhD, Director, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
On European Reference Networks
The European Reference Networks (ERNs) comprise doctors and researchers with expertise in the fields of rare or low-prevalence and complex diseases. A disease is defined as rare when it affects less than 1 in 2,000 people and when it is chronic and often life-threatening. Between 5,000 and 8,000 rare diseases affect the daily lives of around 30 million people in the EU.
ERNs are virtual networks grouping expert centres on rare diseases to review diagnosis and find the best possible treatments for patients across the European Union. Twenty-four ERNs were launched in 2017, involving more than 900 highly specialised healthcare teams, located in more than 300 hospitals in 27 European countries.
