Artificial Intelligence to Improve Cancer Care
A Knowledge Base for Childhood Cancer
EU4CHILD is an EU-funded project with a clear goal: map the current landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications for Childhood Cancer to understand how AI can help improve care pathways in the EU. A one-stop portal to host and curate resources and insights on Childhood Cancer and liaise future opportunities to expand the reach and uptake of clinical AI applications
Our Proposition
The main challenges in the digitization of pediatric cancer data are privacy, data robustness and a lack of interoperability and collaborative approaches. Additionally, data sharing has traditionally been held back by the economic cost of processing and the diversity in national regulations and constraints on handling sensitive data.
EU4CHILD will fight data silos and the reluctance to share health-related data through solid ethics and data governance that combine advanced anonymization and encryption, federated infrastructures for distributed training of AI models and the harmonization and standardization of data sources.
Fostering Open Innovation
Engaging the clinical community, academia and high-tech companies via a bottom-up approach to nurture trust and transparency
Enabling Interoperability
Exploring solutions to facilitate data formatting, metadata
description mapping and harmonization between heterogeneous data sources
Top AI Performance
Through advanced features extraction and novel AI Generative models for data augmentation
A Sound Data Strategy
Applying FAIR principles, advanced anonymization, encryption and Federated infrastructures for AI training guarantees security, privacy and integrity of patient data
Our Tools
There is a strong need for standards and indicators of the quality of life of young cancer patients and AI can contribute to both their definition and assessment. The availability of easy to use, eXplainable AI tools for precise diagnosis, personalized treatment selection and outcome prediction in children with cancer will be particularly important in selecting patients for personalized medicine, while also empowering patients and families and facilitating the transfer of knowledge and expertise globally.
EU4CHILD will provide top-quality, evidence-based AI services to accelerate an early diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and care of children with cancer
AI Medical Imaging
Using novel 2D and 3D Convolutional Neural Networks for anomalies detection (support to radiologists)
Natural Language Processing
For semantic understanding, summarization and semi-automatic annotation of medical information
Deep Neural Networks
For classification, forecasting and prognosis support, assessment of treatment evolution and quality of life measurements post-treatment
A Cancer Plan for Europe
In 2020, 2.7 million people in the European Union were diagnosed with cancer, and another 1.3 million people lost their lives to it. Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan aims to prevent cancer and ensure that cancer patients, survivors, their families and carers can enjoy a high quality of life. Through a series of actions and flagship initiatives covering the entire disease pathway, the Plan promotes digitalisation, research and innovation as key drivers to help EU countries turn the tide against cancer
Key Action Areas
Active Prevention
Through actions addressing key risk factors such as tobacco, harmful alcohol consumption, environmental pollution and hazardous substances
Early Detection
Of cancer via a new EU-supported Cancer Screening Scheme to support Member State in the improvement of access, quality and diagnostics
Diagnosis and Treatment
Through actions to ensure better integrated and comprehensive cancer care and addressing unequal access to quality care and medicines
Improved Quality of Life
Of cancer patients and survivors, including rehabilitation, potential tumour recurrence, metastatic disease and measures to support social integration and workplace reintegration
Helping Children with Cancer Initiative
As one of its flagship initiatives, the Commission will launch the Helping Children with Cancer Initiative to ensure that children have access to rapid and optimal detection, diagnosis, treatment and care. This initiative will be funded under the future EU4Health program through a new network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres. It will support training and the sharing of best practices and standards of care for children with cancer, complementing the actions already put in place by the new European Reference Networks
Mission Cancer: Cure More and Cure Better
Young cancer patients will also be supported under the Horizon Europe Cancer Mission. This initiative aims to increase understanding of cancer initiation and progression and boost the transformation of pediatric cancer care with evidence-based information to advance diagnostics, treatment and survivorship support