Cancer: Supporting the implementation of the Cancer Mission (Horizon Europe)

The goal of the EU Cancer Mission is: ‘to improve the lives of more than 3 million people by 2030, through prevention, cure and for those affected by cancer including their families, to live longer and better’. The four EU Cancer Mission objectives are: Understand; Prevent what is preventable; Optimise diagnosis and treatment; Support quality of life. Its five transversal priorities are: ensure equitable access in all aforementioned areas, innovation, childhood cancer, personalised medicine and citizen engagement. The EU Cancer Mission will address all cancers including poorly-understood cancers in men and women, cancers in children, adolescents and young adults (CAYA) as well as in older people, cancers in socio-economically vulnerable populations, living in either cities, rural or remote areas, across all EU Member States and Associated Countries.

The implementation plan specifies the goal and four main objectives as well as implementation details of the EU Cancer Mission.

The EU Cancer Mission is implemented using a health-in-all policies approach; through infrastructure support; regional, social and citizen community development; through investments; support and commitments from public and private sources, including from EU Member States, Associated Countries and industry; through cooperation with third countries; and through synergies with other EU programmes including EU4HEALTH, EURATOM, Digital Europe (for example the Genomics Data Infrastructure and the Cancer Image Europe initiative, Erasmus+, the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021-2027, and other initiatives related to health and cancer.

Topics with submission deadline on 21 September 2027:

• HORIZON-MISS-2027-02-CANCER-01: Leveraging functional genomics to reveal novel targets for cancer treatment
• HORIZON-MISS-2027-02-CANCER-02: Clinical research by Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures for the benefit of patients with common cancers
• HORIZON-MISS-2027-02-CANCER-03: Phase 1 including first-in-human clinical trials to test biomarker-guided medicines or multi-modal treatment interventions for patients with rare or very rare cancers or cancer subtypes
• HORIZON-MISS-2027-02-CANCER-04: Improving equitable health outcomes and added value for and with cancer patients through health-economics research, health systems research and outcomes research
• HORIZON-MISS-2027-02-CANCER-05: Pre-commercial procurement of affordable solutions for healthcare systems in the areas of cancer technologies, cancer medical devices, or cancer medicines
• HORIZON-MISS-2027-02-CANCER-06: Support a Young Cancer Survivor Quality of Life (QoL) research programme by cancer charities and funding agencies

Find the full work programme “Missions " for 2026-2027 here.