The European Commission, the ESR, and the European Federation for Cancer Images (EUCAIM) held a joint meeting in Brussels on 6 February, at which 160 experts in the fields of policymaking, research, healthcare, and industry reviewed the midterm achievements of the European Cancer Imaging Initiative (ECII) in using health data and AI to advance cancer detection and treatment.
The event took place two years into the project. The central aim was not only to review the achievements of the initiative but also to discuss the next steps in the project, its sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. Also, the meeting was held within the context of the European AI Act and the European Health Data Space regulations, according to an EUCAIM press release issued on 14 February.
The ECII, a core element of the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, is being implemented by EUCAIM through the development of Cancer Image Europe, a pan-European federated infrastructure for cancer images, the release noted. Its infrastructure has been developed to provide secure access to an “unprecedented volume” of high-quality, standardized cancer imaging datasets, aimed at employing AI for earlier and more precise cancer detection and diagnosis, improved treatment planning, and better patient outcomes, it added.
Thomas Skordas, deputy director general of DG CNECT, opened the event by underscoring that AI development is fueled by access to data, and that Cancer Image Europe has already achieved significant progress in making data available in a secure and privacy-preserving manner.
From the right: Lorena Boix-Alonso, deputy director general of EC DG SANTE; Prof. Luis Martí-Bonmatí; and Christiane Kirketerp de Viron, acting director, Digital Society, Trust and Cybersecurity, EC DG CNECT. Photo courtesy of EUCAIM.
Prof. Luis Martí-Bonmatí, EUCAIM’s scientific coordinator, highlighted milestones and achievements of the initiative, such as the launch of the platform’s data search engine, the addition of new data providers, and the integration of AI tools for model validation and traceability.
In addition, it was noted that EUCAIM’s Cancer Image Europe platform is operational, its data search engine is live, federated processing functionalities are being expanded, and new data are continuously added.
The establishment of a European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC) was discussed, to ensure long-term sustainability and governance of the Cancer Image Europe platform to accelerate the development, benchmarking, certification, and deployment of AI-based cancer management tools, the EUCAIM release added.
Another key topic was the ESR-led EU Health Policy Platform Thematic Network “Advancing Precision Medicine for Europe’s Cancer Patients with AI-powered Imaging” and the resulting joint statement, co-led by EUCAIM and endorsed by over 80 stakeholder organizations, confirming a collective commitment to advancing AI-powered precision medicine for cancer patients in Europe, ensuring that AI models are trustworthy, generalizable, and ready for clinical deployment.
