The Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) has officially become a core member of Cancer Prevention Europe (CPE)—a major milestone that reinforces VHIO’s commitment to advancing cancer prevention and early detection efforts.
A United Front Against Cancer
Cancer Prevention Europe (CPE) is a European consortium coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization. Its mission is clear: to reduce cancer-related morbidity and mortality across European populations through effective prevention and earlier diagnosis. By fostering collaboration among research institutions, public health bodies, and policymakers, CPE strives to transform scientific insights into impactful strategies that benefit European citizens.
To achieve this, the consortium focuses on three core areas: enhancing the implementation of effective preventive measures, accelerating the translation of research into national and international guidelines, and identifying innovative strategies for cancer prevention. CPE provides a platform to align research efforts, share best practices, and drive policy change—all while ensuring that prevention remains at the forefront of Europe’s fight against cancer.
Driving Europe’s Prevention Research Agenda
CPE’s strategic agenda for the coming years is centered on coordinating efforts to ensure that cancer prevention is not only grounded in the latest scientific evidence, but also broadly supported and systematically applied.
The agenda calls for the development of high-quality, multicentre research initiatives based on the principles of open science and cross-border collaboration. It also envisions the creation of a European Knowledge Hub on Cancer Prevention—a centralized resource to collect and disseminate evidence, identify research gaps, and support the design of future studies. Equally important is the focus on education and capacity-building, aimed at training a new generation of multidisciplinary researchers equipped to lead Europe’s prevention efforts into the future.
VHIO’s Contribution
As of June 2025, VHIO has officially joined CPE as a core member. Representing the institute within the consortium are Javier Carmona as main delegate and Alba López Rioja as alternate delegate. Their participation will ensure that VHIO plays an active role in shaping the future of cancer prevention research and policy at the European level.
“This marks a major milestone for VHIO. We firmly believe that prevention and early detection of cancer are the most powerful approaches we have to reducing the global burden of this disease,” says Javier Carmona, Head of the Scientific Strategy and Translational Programs Unit at VHIO. “By joining the conversation, we will work hand in hand with other leading European institutions, we can help drive cancer prevention forward in a truly meaningful way.”
VHIO’s inclusion in CPE not only underscores its leadership in translational oncology and precision medicine but also strengthens our ability to influence how research is translated into real-world preventive strategies. This step marks important progress toward a future in which cancer care in Europe begins long before diagnosis.
