CancerWatch

Why CancerWatch Matters

To defeat cancer, we need more than just medicine; we need the right information at the right time. Currently, cancer data across Europe is like a giant puzzle with missing or outdated pieces.

CancerWatch is the missing link, ensuring that every country provides high-quality, up-to-date data so we can see the full picture of the cancer burden in Europe and act faster to save lives.

What We Do

In partnership with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), CancerWatch transforms how Europe tracks the disease by:

Modernizing Data Collection: Moving away from slow, manual processes toward smart, digital methods within healthcare systems.
Closing the Quality Gap: Creating a unified “gold standard” for cancer registries so that data is comparable and reliable, no matter where it’s from.
Speeding Up Insights: Reducing the time it takes for new cancer statistics to reach the public and policymakers.
Building a Digital Future: Integrating this data into the European Cancer Information System (ECIS) and the emerging European Health Data Space.

Who is Involved?

We are a collaborative Joint Action bringing together the leading experts from the European Network of Cancer Registries (ENCR) and key European health organizations. By uniting data scientists, policy experts, and healthcare providers, we are building a stronger, data-driven defence against cancer.

The Benefits: Data for a Healthier Europe

When data is accurate and timely, everyone wins. Doctors and researchers can identify survival trends more quickly, and policymakers can target resources exactly where they are needed most. Most importantly, it helps us tackle cancer inequalities, ensuring that a patient’s geography doesn’t determine their quality of care or their chance of survival.