The Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), in line with its strategic commitment to advancing cancer care and knowledge across Europe, has joined the JA PCM, a new EU Joint Action dedicated to Personalised Cancer Medicine.
A Europe-Wide Effort for Personalized Cancer Care
JA PCM brings together a consortium of European partners with a shared goal: to accelerate cross-border collaboration, strengthen European knowledge networks, form synergies with EU initiatives, and promote equitable access to personalized cancer medicine across Europe. Over the next four years, the initiative aims to create a lasting European framework for personalized oncology that is sustainable, measurable, and patient-centered. expand access to and knowledge of personalized cancer medicine across Europe.
The project officially launched in November 2025 and celebrated its kick-off on 14–15 January 2026 with a successful meeting that brought together project partners and key stakeholders, laying the foundation for close and inclusive cooperation at the European level.
JA PCM adopts a life course perspective, developing healthcare interventions that address the needs of:
- Healthy individuals (prevention and risk assessment)
- Cancer patients (diagnosis and treatment)
- Cancer survivors (follow-up and quality of life)
This multi-perspective approach ensures that personalized cancer medicine benefits individuals along the patient journey.
Part of the EU4Health Programme
JA PCM is funded under the EU4Health Programme, the European Union’s main funding instrument for health. Under the 2024 EU4Health calls, ten new projects addressing cancer diagnosis, treatment, quality of life, and survivorship have recently begun, reinforcing Europe’s commitment to innovation and equity in cancer care.
Supporting Precision Medicine Through SPARC
JA PCM is supported by the SPARC project, in which VHIO is also a partner. SPARC aims to improve diagnostics, access to care, and outcomes for both common and rare cancers across Europe – with a strong focus on patient involvement. The project promotes the use of precision medicine tools and cross-border collaboration, engaging healthcare professionals, policymakers, patients, and researchers to harmonize practices and integrate personalized approaches into national healthcare systems.
VHIO’s Leadership Role: A Supranational Molecular Tumor Board
Alejandro Piris is VHIO’s Principal Investigator for the project. As a project partner, VHIO will play a leading role in the Joint Action. Specifically, VHIO will coordinate a pilot to establish a supranational Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) for rare and complex cancer cases, with a particular focus on centers and countries that currently lack access to this resource. The pilot will be led by Alberto Hernando Clinical Investigator of VHIO’s UITM-Caixa Research and Medical Oncologist at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital’s (HUVH) Medical Oncology Department.
Photo: Alejandro Piris, Alba Lopez, Alberto Hernando, and Christina Stangl
In parallel, Rodrigo Dienstmann, Group Leader of VHIO’s Oncology Data Science (ODysSey) Group, will lead efforts to standardize and harmonize data collection across Molecular Tumor Boards, a critical step toward more equitable, consistent, and evidence-based decision-making in personalized cancer care.
VHIO is also leading a task focused on the development and delivery of advanced training pathways for healthcare professionals, covering Molecular Tumor Boards, Liquid Biopsies, and Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS).
Additionally, Judith Balmaña, Group Leader of VHIO’s Hereditary Cancer Genetics Group, is involved in Arm 1, which focuses on cancer prevention and early detection.
