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BD2Decide · Project

AI-Powered Decision Tool Helps Doctors Pick the Best Head and Neck Cancer Treatment

healthTestedTRL 6
bd2decide.eu

Head and neck cancers kill about 70,000 Europeans every year, partly because doctors rely on a pretty rough staging system that doesn't capture what makes each tumor unique. Imagine choosing a car repair strategy based only on the car's color — that's roughly how limited the current approach is. BD2Decide built a smart decision-support tool that combines a patient's genetic data, imaging, clinical history, and population-level statistics to predict which treatment will work best for that specific person. The system was tested with over 1,000 real patients across multiple hospitals in Europe.

By the numbers
150,000
New head and neck cancer cases detected in Europe per year
70,000
HNC patient deaths in Europe per year
6th
Ranking among most deadly cancers worldwide
1,000+
Patients in multicentric validation clinical study
EUR 4,845,000
EU funding contribution
13
Consortium partners
6
Countries represented in the consortium
The business problem

What needed solving

Head and neck cancers affect 150,000 new patients in Europe every year, with 70,000 deaths annually. Current treatment decisions rely on the TNM staging system, which considers only a handful of risk factors and fails to account for the unique biological characteristics of each patient's tumor. This one-size-fits-all approach leads to suboptimal treatment choices that can cause severe side effects and poor quality of life without maximizing therapeutic outcomes.

The solution

What was built

BD2Decide built an integrated clinical decision support system that combines big data analytics, multiscale prognostic models, and advanced visualization tools. The deliverables include functional prototype mock-ups of the DSS and visual analytics platform, user interaction designs, and a validated system tested with over 1,000 patients in a multicentric clinical study.

Audience

Who needs this

Health IT companies building oncology clinical decision support platformsMedical imaging and diagnostics companies expanding into predictive analyticsPharmaceutical companies needing patient stratification tools for precision oncology trialsUniversity hospitals and cancer centers seeking to personalize HNC treatmentHealth insurance companies interested in optimizing treatment outcomes and reducing costs
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Health IT / Clinical Decision Support
mid-size
Target: Companies developing electronic health record systems or clinical software platforms

If you are a health IT vendor struggling to differentiate your clinical platform — BD2Decide developed a decision support system that integrates genomic, imaging, and clinical data to personalize head and neck cancer treatment. With validation across more than 1,000 patients and 13 consortium partners, this could become a premium module that sets your platform apart in oncology departments.

Medical Diagnostics & Imaging
enterprise
Target: Medical imaging or diagnostics companies expanding into oncology analytics

If you are a diagnostics company looking to add predictive analytics to your imaging products — BD2Decide created multiscale prognostic models that combine imaging data with genomic and pathology information to predict head and neck cancer outcomes. The system includes advanced graphical visualization tools already prototyped and tested, ready to be integrated into diagnostic workflows.

Pharmaceutical / Precision Medicine
enterprise
Target: Pharma companies developing targeted therapies for head and neck cancers

If you are a pharma company investing in precision oncology and need better patient stratification tools — BD2Decide built big-data models that uncover patient-specific patterns beyond the traditional TNM staging system. With 150,000 new European HNC cases annually and the project's validated predictive models, this could help you identify which patients will respond best to your therapies during clinical trials.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or integrate this technology?

The project was funded with EUR 4,845,000 under Horizon 2020 as a Research and Innovation Action. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the coordinator (Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma) and relevant consortium partners holding IP. Costs would depend on scope of integration and exclusivity arrangements.

Can this scale to production use in hospitals?

The system was validated through a multicentric clinical study with more than 1,000 patients across hospitals in 6 European countries. The consortium includes 13 partners with 3 industry players, suggesting infrastructure for scaling. However, moving from validated prototype to certified medical device would require additional regulatory steps.

What is the IP situation and how can we license it?

As a Horizon 2020 RIA project with 13 partners including 3 SMEs and 3 industry partners, IP is likely shared across the consortium under their grant agreement. The coordinator in Parma, Italy would be the first point of contact. Specific licensing terms would need to be discussed with the relevant IP holders.

Does this comply with medical device regulations?

The project produced functional prototype mock-ups and a validated decision support system, but as a research project it would not yet have CE marking or FDA clearance. Any commercial deployment as a clinical decision support tool would require regulatory certification under the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR).

How long would it take to deploy this in our hospital or product?

The project ran from 2016 to 2019 and delivered working prototypes including visualization mock-ups and a clinical DSS. Integration timeline would depend on your existing IT infrastructure, but the functional prototypes and 1,000-patient validation provide a solid starting point for product development.

Can this integrate with our existing hospital information systems?

BD2Decide was designed to work within clinical practice, linking epidemiology data, genomic data, pathology, clinical records, and imaging. The project delivered user interaction sketches and visualization tools designed for clinician workflows. Specific integration details would need to be discussed with the technical partners.

Is there ongoing support or further development planned?

The project closed in September 2019. The consortium of 13 partners across 6 countries may have continued development independently. Contact the coordinator at Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma for information on current status and any follow-up initiatives.

Consortium

Who built it

The BD2Decide consortium brings together 13 partners from 6 countries (Germany, Greece, Spain, Israel, Italy, Netherlands), led by a university hospital in Parma, Italy. The mix includes 5 universities, 4 research organizations, and 3 industry partners (all SMEs), giving it a 23% industry ratio. This is a research-heavy consortium typical of clinical validation projects — strong on scientific credibility and clinical access, but commercialization would likely require a stronger industry partner to drive product development and regulatory certification. The multi-country clinical validation across major European healthcare systems is a significant asset for any company looking to adopt this technology.

How to reach the team

Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Italy — contact through CORDIS or the project website

Order a report on this consortiumSee AZIENDA OSPEDALIERO-UNIVERSITARIA DI PARMA profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the BD2Decide team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people and provide a detailed technology brief tailored to your business needs.

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