RISCC · Project

Smarter Cervical Cancer Screening That Matches Each Woman's Actual Risk Level

healthPilotedTRL 7

riscc-h2020.eu

Right now, every woman gets the same cervical cancer screening schedule — whether she's high-risk or low-risk. That's like giving everyone the same eyeglass prescription. RISCC built a system that looks at a woman's vaccination history, past screening results, and other factors to figure out how often she actually needs to be checked. They created digital tools that plug into national screening programs and tested them in Sweden's real healthcare system.

By the numbers

consortium partners across the project

European countries represented in the consortium

EUR 5,792,355

EU investment in developing risk-based screening

5 years

project duration (2020-2024)

total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Cervical cancer screening programs worldwide use the same schedule for every woman regardless of her risk level. This wastes resources on unnecessary tests for low-risk women while under-protecting high-risk populations where screening uptake remains moderate. With cervical cancer rates rising in many countries and screening costs under pressure, healthcare systems need a smarter, personalized approach.

The solution

What was built

RISCC built risk-stratification algorithms using data from large European randomized HPV screening trials, along with an integrated e-Health/m-Health platform that combines e-Consent, e-Survey, and data analysis capabilities. They also produced health-economic models to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of risk-based versus one-size-fits-all screening.

Audience

Who needs this

Health insurance companies managing cervical screening program costsDigital health companies building screening management platformsNational public health agencies running organized screening programsHPV vaccine manufacturers seeking companion screening optimization toolsHealth technology assessment bodies evaluating personalized prevention

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Health Insurance & Managed Care

enterprise

Target: Health insurance companies and national healthcare payers managing screening program budgets

If you are a health insurer spending millions on cervical screening programs with a one-size-fits-all schedule — RISCC developed risk-stratification algorithms backed by health-economic modelling that let you target screening resources where they matter most. The project used data from large European randomized trials across 9 countries to build these risk profiles. This means fewer unnecessary screenings for low-risk women and better protection for high-risk ones.

Digital Health & e-Health Platforms

SME

Target: e-Health software companies building screening management systems

If you are a digital health company building tools for organized screening programs — RISCC developed open-source e-health and m-health applications with built-in risk-based screening algorithms. Their integrated e-Health/m-Health platform connects e-Consent, e-Survey, and data analysis functions. These are ready-to-integrate components that could differentiate your product in the growing personalized prevention market.

Public Health & Screening Programs

enterprise

Target: National or regional public health agencies running cervical cancer screening programs

If you are a public health authority running a cervical screening program and struggling with moderate uptake in high-risk populations — RISCC tested a risk-based approach in Sweden's organized screening program with 11 partners across 9 countries. Their predictive models use HPV vaccination status and screening history to create personalized screening intervals, addressing both cost pressure and the problem of cervical cancer rates rising in many countries.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement risk-based screening in our program?

The project used health-economic modelling to evaluate cost-effectiveness, but specific licensing costs are not published in the available data. The e-health tools were developed as open-source, which could significantly reduce implementation costs. The EUR 5,792,355 EU investment across 11 partners over 5 years gives a sense of development scale.

Has this been tested at scale in a real screening program?

Yes. RISCC conducted an implementation trial within Sweden's organized cervical screening program — a real national healthcare system, not a lab environment. The risk profiles were built using data from several large European randomized HPV screening trials with long-term follow-up across 9 countries.

What is the IP and licensing situation?

The e-health and m-health applications were developed as open-source tools. This means they can be adopted, modified, and integrated without traditional licensing barriers. Specific terms should be confirmed with the consortium coordinator at Stichting Amsterdam UMC.

How does this integrate with existing screening infrastructure?

The project built an integrated e-Health/m-Health platform that connects e-Consent, e-Survey, and data analysis components. It was designed to work within existing organized screening programs, as demonstrated by the Swedish implementation trial. Based on available project data, it uses standard digital health integration approaches.

What risk factors does the system actually use?

The algorithms use screening history, HPV vaccination status, and other relevant risk factors. Risk profiles were developed from multiple data sources: randomized HPV screening trials, HPV self-sampling trials, cytology- and HPV-based screening registries, a community randomized vaccination trial, and linked vaccination/screening/cancer registries.

Is this compliant with European health data regulations?

The platform includes e-Consent functionality, suggesting privacy-by-design. The project operated across 9 EU/EEA countries and was funded under Horizon 2020 health research, which requires GDPR compliance. Specific regulatory certifications should be confirmed with the coordinator.

Consortium

Who built it

The RISCC consortium brings together 11 partners from 9 countries — a genuinely pan-European effort led by Amsterdam UMC in the Netherlands. The mix skews heavily toward research (4 research organizations) and academia (2 universities), with 4 other organizations and just 1 industry partner (9% industry ratio, 1 SME). This is typical for a health research project building clinical evidence, but it means commercial deployment will need external industry partners for scaling. The geographic spread across Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, and Slovenia ensures the risk models reflect diverse European screening practices and populations, which is a significant advantage for any company wanting to deploy this across multiple markets.

STICHTING AMSTERDAM UMCCoordinator · NL
SELF-SCREEN BVparticipant · NL
INSTITUT CATALA D'ONCOLOGIAparticipant · ES
PIRKANMAAN HYVINVOINTIALUEparticipant · FI
AZIENDA OSPEDALIERA CITTA DELLA SALUTE E DELLA SCIENZA DI TORINOparticipant · IT
KAROLINSKA INSTITUTETparticipant · SE
REGION STOCKHOLMparticipant · SE
CENTRE INTERNATIONAL DE RECHERCHE SUR LE CANCERparticipant · FR
SCIENSANOparticipant · BE
UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANIparticipant · SI

How to reach the team

Stichting Amsterdam UMC (Netherlands) — reach out to the project coordinator through the university's research partnerships office

Order a report on this consortium See STICHTING AMSTERDAM UMC profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to integrate risk-based cervical screening into your health platform or insurance program? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the RISCC team and help you evaluate the technology fit for your market.

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