Building National Cancer Data Nodes: EU Project CANDLE starts work
The EU-funded project CANDLE – National CAncer data Node DeveLopErs – officially kicked off on 1 June 2025, launching its three-year mission to build a robust cancer research infrastructure across EU Member States.
Coordinated by Health-RI and with a consortium of 40 partners from 20 European countries, including ECRIN, the project will support Member States in setting up National Cancer Data Nodes. These Nodes will manage and share cancer data nationally and across borders, connecting different national actors.
The National Cancer Data Nodes implemented in CANDLE will closely link to other European cancer data initiatives: 1) the UNCAN.eu platform, a federated cancer data infrastructure being developed under the upcoming EU project UNCAN-CONNECT, and 2) the European Cancer Patient Digital Centre (ECPDC).
Driving Integration Across Europe
CANDLE will play a strategic role in supporting the European Health Data Space (EHDS) by establishing a federated network of national nodes in the cancer domain. These nodes can be seen as demonstrators for national disease-specific implementation of the EHDS, aligning EU-wide health data policies with regional and national requirements. Furthermore, CANDLE puts into practice the EU Mission on Cancer and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan by supporting their implementation on national level and fostering dialogue with other major initiatives.
The CANDLE Consortium includes partners from Member State governance bodies, cancer care, patients and public health, as well as six major European Research Infrastructures. Thus, the consortium is well-suited to ensure the adoption of best practices in data sharing, enhance maturity in data access, and foster cross-domain collaboration.
