Updates from INTERACT-EUROPE 100
Fourth Train-the-Trainer course in Heidelberg
The INTERACT-EUROPE 100 Team traveled to in Germany, between 3 and 5 July, to deliver the third Train-the-Trainer course through dedicated workshops on the Inter-Specialty Cancer Training Programme.
More courses on the way
There are now four more Train-the-Trainer courses planned for 2025:
One additional date and location is still pending confirmation.
For more information on the Train-the-Trainer courses, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Third Train-the-Trainer course in Lisbon
The INTERACT-EUROPE 100 Team traveled to in Lisbon, between 7 and 9 May, to deliver the third Train-the-Trainer course through dedicated workshops on the Inter-Specialty Cancer Training Programme.
Second Train-the-Trainer course in Turku
The second ‘Train-the-Trainer’ course took place in Finland, between 26 and 28 March.
First Train-the-Trainer course in Barcelona
Between 24 and 26 January, selected trainers from the INTERACT-EUROPE 100 project gathered for a three-day event at Barcelona Children's Hospital Sant Joan de Déu. It included dedicated workshops on specific areas of the Inter-Specialty Cancer Training Programme, addressing:
- Contemporary pedagogical approaches
- Person-centred approach in cancer care
- ISCTP content and guidelines for delivery
- Interprofessional practice in cancer care continuum
INTERACT-EUROPE 100 Welcome Webinar
On 15 January 2025, the INTERACT-EUROPE 100 Team welcomed over 280 trainers & participants from more than 100 cancer centres to take part in the first European Inter-Specialty Cancer Training. They will learn together, incorporating their different oncology specialties, so that patients can benefit from a multidisciplinary approach to cancer care.
The Economist Impact
Showcasing INTERACT-EUROPE 100 as a European Solution for Multidisciplinary Cancer Training
Early 2025 has already delivered promising results on the dissemination front. In a research article dedicated to Advancing women-centric breast cancer care in Europe, The Economist Impact highlighted INTERACT-EUROPE 100 as an example of inter-specialty cancer training at the European level.
At the European level, projects like INTERACTEUROPE 100 aim to improve cancer care by breaking down medical silos and providing professionals from different specialties with the skills to communicate with each other more effectively for better patient care. (...) A major obstacle to successfully implementing women-centric care is the lack of healthcare provider awareness around the preferences and needs of women (...) Healthcare professionals should also be aware of the need to retrain themselves in some respects, to be able to deliver the best care.
– The Economist Impact
The INTERACT-EUROPE 100 team is honoured by the growing recognition of the project's potential to reshape professional perceptions of cancer care for women. We are committed to breaking down barriers and implement needed changes for improved cancer care.
You can read the full publication here.
Patient-centred interprofessional education in cancer care: a scoping review protocol
Cancer remains a major global health challenge, affecting millions annually and ranking as the second leading cause of death worldwide. Structural issues and insufficient interdisciplinary training can impede effective collaboration, which is why effective interprofessional education (IPE) is needed.
You can now read the scoping review from an INTERACT-EUROPE 100 partner, the Medical University of Vienna (MUW), on the implementation, impact and evaluation strategies of patient-centred IPE programmes.
Read the publication here.
You can also read the protocol paper here.
Over 100 Cancer Centres Now Recruited!
After receiving over 120 applications from European Cancer Centres and performing a thorough revision process, the INTERACT-EUROPE 100 Team is pleased to announce that the project has met its goal of selecting at least 100 of them!
We have also beaten the target of 15 EU countries' Cancer Centres being included and have reached 27 countries (23 EU and 4 non-EU).
The project team is extremely grateful for the interest received from all over Europe. We are now working at full speed to prepare the training courses, which are set to begin in 2025.
Find the selected cancer centres here.
INTERACT-EUROPE 100 Second Year Coordination Meeting
The INTERACT-EUROPE 100 Second Year Coordination meeting took place in Brussels on Friday 22 November at the Radisson Collection Hotel. This date was selected to immediately follow the European Cancer Summit, and align with the Showcase Event for the smartCARE and PROTECT-EUROPE projects, which were being held simultaneously.
This choice of date and place aimed to maximise in-person interaction and broaden contact and synergies with other members of the European Cancer community.
European Cancer Summit, Spotlight on INTERACT-EUROPE 100
On 21 November 2024, a special spotlight session took place at the European Cancer Summit, in Brussels, dedicated to the INTERACT-EUROPE 100 project.
Kim Benestead, member of the project's Steering Committee, presented the project and gave an update on this year's progress to relevant stakeholders of the cancer community, young cancer professionals and policymakers.
INTERACT-EUROPE 100 Research-Based Hybrid Event
Special Needs of Displaced People with Cancer and Healthcare Workforce: A Focus on Ukraine
The INTERACT-EUROPE 100 Research-Based Hybrid Event ‘Special Needs of Displaced People with Cancer and Healthcare Workforce: A Focus on Ukraine’ took place in Ukraine and virtually on Wednesday 23 October 2024 from 10:00 to 15:00 CEST. Learn more about it here.
Heidelberg Initiatives on Dissemination
The new research gallery at Heidelberg University of Education was opened as part of an Academic Soireé on 23 October 2024. Nine renowned projects presented their research approach and results in a poster presentation and INTERACT-EUROPE 100 was one of them.
Members of the Work Package 2 Team, Prof Marco Kalz, Taybe Kulaksaz-Sabbah and Jana Steinbacher presented details of the project to distinguished members of the academic community in Germany.
Why are Cancer Centres Applying for INTERACT-EUROPE 100?
Representatives from applying Cancer Centres had the opportunity to share the reasons why they consider this project so important and why they are applying for it. The videos they shared turned into precious material to boost the promotion of recruitment on the weeks before closing.
See why inter-specialty cancer training is so important for: Dr Jan Žmuc; Prof Audrius Dulskas, Radiologist Marina Nepotu, Prof. Ann Hopkins; Scientific Director Prof. Roberto Orecchia; Dr. Deborah Moreno-Alonso; Cancer Operations & Accreditation Lead Claire Noonan; and Prof. Hackert.
Watch the video here!
Work on the Modules - Onsite Production
Production of content is underway, and partners are working together to ensure that the INTERACT-EUROPE 100 learning materials and training content are fully ready by the beginning of the training in 2025.
In the images, you can see colleagues in Heidelberg, who were involved in the production of four video lectures on the module 1.3: Cancer radiotherapy for non-radiotherapy clinicians, featuring expert Prof Mario Levis, from ESTRO, alongside the Co-Leaders of INTERACT-EUROPE 100's Work Package 2 from Universitatsklinikum Heidelberg (UKHD) -Niall Brindl, Aphrodite Fotiadou, Haidar Kasem, and Andreas Brandl- and Heidelberg University of Education (HUE) -Marco Kalz, Taybe Kulaksaz-Sabbah and Jana Steinbacher.
INTERACT-EUROPE 100 Presented at EU4Health Stakeholders' Conference
On 19 June 2024, INTERACT-EUROPE 100 was prominently featured at the EU4Health Stakeholders' Conference, held by the European Commission in Brussels. Representing the project, Dr Virpi Sulosaari, Principal Lecturer at Turku University of Applied Sciences and Co-Lead of INTERACT-EUROPE 100's Programme Design and Development, delivered a compelling presentation emphasizing the critical need for multidisciplinary cancer care in Europe.
During the event, Dr Sulosaari highlighted how the INTERACT-EUROPE 100 project is addressing this need through innovative inter-specialty training. This approach fosters collaboration among oncology professionals, ultimately enhancing the quality of cancer care offered to patients across Europe. The project features inclusiveness, both in the range of specialties that can participate and the languages in which the programme is offered.
INTERACT-EUROPE 100 Presented at the SIOPE Annual Meeting
In May 2024, our colleagues from SIOPE also presented INTERACT-EUROPE 100 at the SIOPE Annual Meeting in Milan. The conference was attended by many European experts in childhood cancer.
The Importance of Multidisciplinary Cancer Care
Co-chair Maja Čemažar was interviewed by the European Commission and explained why a multi-disciplinary approach to cancer care is key, and how INTERACT-EUROPE 100 and its Inter-Specialty Cancer Training Programme contributes to support Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.
'By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among oncology experts across Europe, we are creating a network of supported expertise that goes beyond borders and will reduce inequities in cancer care.' she says.
Watch the full interview here!
What the European Commission Thinks of INTERACT-EUROPE 100
Hear the Words of Director Manuel Szapiro
'You can count on our support.' In this statement, Manuel Szapiro, Head of the European Commission Representation in Barcelona expressed the enthusiastic backing of the institution to the INTERACT-EUROPE 100 project, as well as the eagerness of the European Commission to advance the common goal of completing Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.
Click on the image to see the video!
The Launch of INTERACT-EUROPE 100
This project is connected to the ECO Workforce Network. Find out more.
On 8 and 9 February, the European Cancer Organisation launched the second phase of the EU co-funded project for an Inter-Specialty Cancer Training Programme.
The inaugural event served not only to showcase the project's goals and impact but also to gather stakeholder insights, advice, and priorities for what inter-specialty training they wanted for their own cancer teams. Given the project's core concept of including 100 cancer centres from across Europe, their input was crucial.
Guests networked with project partners, officials, policy makers, and patient representatives, as they developed this new frontier in cancer training.
Participants engaged in:
- 8 February: An evening reception at the European Commission’s regional representation office in Barcelona, with informative talks followed by dinner and networking with political figures, cancer centre representatives, consortium members, and project leadership.
- 9 February: Kick-off event at the Paediatric Cancer Centre Hospital Sant Joan de Deu (HSJD), including the presentation of the INTERACT-EUROPE 100 project and the gathering of feedback in a free-flowing exchange with cancer centre directors and consortium members.
Attendees had a direct impact on the future of this innovative training programme.
Discover more about the first phase of the INTERACT-EUROPE programme, including videos and documents, here.
