assist the Commission in the drawing up of legal instruments and policy documents, guidelines and recommendations on cancer control, as well as cancer data including epidemiology, early detection of cancer and cancer screening, information of the public on cancer prevention, quality assurance procedure in cancer management and preventive aspects which may be developed on the basis of the results of fundamental, translational and clinical cancer research carried o ...[+++]ut under the EU research programmes and other international or national research initiatives, as well as on cross cutting themes related to cancer;

assist the Commission in the drawing up of legal instruments and policy documents, guidelines and recommendations on cancer control, as well as cancer data including epidemiology, early detection of cancer and cancer screening, information of the public on cancer prevention, quality assurance procedure in cancer management and preventive aspects which may be developed on the basis of the results of fundamental, translational and clinical cancer research carried o ...[+++]ut under the EU research programmes and other international or national research initiatives, as well as on cross cutting themes related to cancer.

During the 6th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development and in the first two calls of the 7th Framework Programme, about €750 million has been devoted to cancer research, covering all major types of cancer and involving a wide range of actors, such as academia, small and medium-sized enterprises, and large industrial partners.

In 2012, the project RARECARENET (Information Network on Rare Cancers)[46], which built upon some of previous activities of the Project RARECARE (Surveillance of Rare Cancers in Europe)[47] which provided estimations for incidence, survival, prevalence and mortality for all rare cancers. The project aims (i) to provide updated indicators of rare cancer burden, (ii) to collect and disseminate information on the health care pathways for rare cancers, (iii) to identify the criteria for centres of expertise for rare cancers, (iv) to produce and disseminate information on diagnosis and management of rare cancers, (v) to develop a clinical dat ...[+++]abase on very rare cancers, (vi) to provide new knowledge on these diseases and their clinical management, and (vii) to develop and disseminate information for patients including a list of patients’ associations dedicated to rare cancers. In 2013, the European Expert Paediatric Oncology Reference Network for Diagnostics and Treatment (ExPO-r-NeT), to support the provision of healthcare to children and young people with cancer in a Member State other than the Member State of affiliation, when the expertise with certain cancer conditions is rare and case volume low, contributing to provide cross-border best care to rare childhood cancer populations.

In 2012, the project RARECARENET (Information Network on Rare Cancers)[46], which built upon some of previous activities of the Project RARECARE (Surveillance of Rare Cancers in Europe)[47] which provided estimations for incidence, survival, prevalence and mortality for all rare cancers. The project aims (i) to provide updated indicators of rare cancer burden, (ii) to collect and disseminate information on the health care pathways for rare cancers, (iii) to identify the criteria for centres of expertise for rare cancers, (iv) to produce and disseminate information on diagnosis and management of rare cancers, (v) to develop a clinical dat ...[+++]abase on very rare cancers, (vi) to provide new knowledge on these diseases and their clinical management, and (vii) to develop and disseminate information for patients including a list of patients’ associations dedicated to rare cancers. In 2013, the European Expert Paediatric Oncology Reference Network for Diagnostics and Treatment (ExPO-r-NeT), to support the provision of healthcare to children and young people with cancer in a Member State other than the Member State of affiliation, when the expertise with certain cancer conditions is rare and case volume low, contributing to provide cross-border best care to rare childhood cancer populations.

In this context, the following pilot projects were developed: European cancer research coordination in early phase clinical research; a European platform for cancer outcomes Research; and a European knowledge hub for epidemiology and public health research on cancer: research coordination and knowledge sharing.