The CANDLE EU project kick-off event was held on June 16, 2025, in Amsterdam, marking the launch of an initiative aimed at improving cancer outcomes across Europe through enhanced use of health data. The event convened stakeholders from various member states to discuss the development of National Cancer Data Nodes, a key component of the EU’s mission to reduce the societal impact of cancer. The project seeks to tackle data fragmentation and promote standardization, fostering research that enhances patient outcomes. The CANDLE kick-off event laid a robust foundation for developing National Cancer Data Nodes, highlighting standardization, stakeholder collaboration, and European Health Data Space (EHDS) integration as key themes. Diverse perspectives from Finland, Luxembourg, and beyond underscored the need for coordinated efforts to overcome fragmentation and legislative challenges, setting the stage for impactful cancer research advancements.
BRU-Iscte – through the competence centre BRU Digital Health International (BRUDHI) – is a partner of the CANDLE consortium, led locally by BRU-Iscte researcher Henrique Martins, and will support policy dialogue activities, especially in connection with the European Health Data Space regulation. BRUDHI was represented at the kick-off meeting by team member Abrar Syed Ahmed.
Learn more about the project here.
