EUROPEAN CANCER PATIENT COALITION

Their core work

ECPC is Europe's leading cancer patient advocacy organization, representing the patient voice in EU-funded research projects across oncology, immunotherapy, and personalized medicine. They bring the patient perspective into clinical trial design, drug benefit-risk assessments, quality of life measurement, and health technology evaluation. Their core contribution is ensuring that cancer research addresses real patient needs — from treatment access and informed consent to palliative care and survivorship outcomes. They serve as a bridge between the research community and the 500+ cancer patient organizations they represent across Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2016–2018), ECPC focused heavily on cancer immunotherapy research — dendritic cell therapy, SABR combinations, HPV vaccines, and liquid biopsies — representing patients in cutting-edge treatment trials. From 2019 onward, their involvement shifted toward quality of life outcomes, palliative care, personalized medicine, and digital health tools including AI-based treatment optimization and genomic prediction. This evolution mirrors the broader oncology field's move from "can we treat it?" toward "can we treat it better, with less harm, and more patient agency?"

ECPC is moving toward AI-driven personalized cancer care and genomics, making them an increasingly relevant patient advocacy partner for digital health and precision oncology consortia.

How they like to work

ECPC exclusively participates as a partner or third party — they have never coordinated a project, which fits their role as a patient voice rather than a research lead. They operate in large consortia (278 unique partners across 20 projects), connecting broadly across the European cancer research landscape rather than repeatedly partnering with the same organizations. This makes them an accessible and well-networked partner who can bring patient legitimacy and wide advocacy reach to any cancer-related consortium.

ECPC has collaborated with 278 unique partners across 28 countries, giving them one of the widest networks in European cancer patient advocacy. Their connections span university hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, research institutes, and regulatory bodies across virtually all EU member states.

What sets them apart

ECPC is the go-to organization when an EU cancer research consortium needs credible, organized patient representation. Unlike individual patient groups focused on one cancer type, ECPC covers all cancers and brings structured methodology for incorporating patient preferences into research design and policy. Their 20-project track record and 278-partner network mean they understand EU project mechanics deeply, reducing onboarding friction for new consortia.

Highlights from their portfolio

• QUALITOP
  Largest single grant to ECPC (EUR 272,625), focused on monitoring quality of life after immunotherapy using smart digital platforms.
• PREFER
  Major IMI project (EUR 223,250 to ECPC) on patient preferences in drug benefit-risk assessment — directly shapes how new cancer drugs are evaluated.
• T2EVOLVE
  Positions ECPC at the frontier of CAR-T and TCR-engineered cell therapy, one of the most transformative areas in cancer treatment.