PRESS RELEASE
4P-CAN Consortium Meeting, Lyon, France – 23-24 March 2026
The 4P-CAN consortium convened in a consortium meeting in Lyon, hosted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The 4P-CAN partners, gathered in-person and online, presented their latest work updates and future plans, as the project is now entering its final year.
During the first day, emphasis was given to the latest research results and data analysis of the different studies currently ongoing within the project. This included:
- The latest findings regarding policies assessment, legislation, and regulatory frameworks for cancer primary prevention main risk factors from the 4P-CAN countries.
- The latest study and recommendations on the economic imperative of cancer control and the effectiveness of tobacco taxation and law enforcement.
- The latest results of different surveys and questionnaires on:
- What sources or communication channels are perceived as most trustworthy to share messages on cancer prevention/early detection, and more likely to have an impact on behavioural changes.
- Measuring Cancer Prevention Literacy among people from different countries, backgounds and age groups.
- Preparations for a future survey following the communication campaign surrounding the launch of the 5th European Code Against Cancer.
- Local communication campaigns (in Romania and Bulgaria) to disseminate the new 5th European Code Against Cancer.
- Targeted public health communication campaigns in non EU-countries to adapt them to local needs and contexts (in Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine).
- The development of innovative digital platform to present cancer primary prevention data per country.
These analyses and findings will be relevant when drafting policy recommendations and country reports, alongside the local activities to engage with key stakeholders and citizens to disseminate cancer prevention and early detection key messages.
On the second day, partners shared updates on the Living Lab activities, launched in September 2023. Now 2.5 years into the project, the Living Labs have successfully engaged a wide range of citizens across rural and remote areas in Romania and Bulgaria. These activities have provided valuable insights into attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours related to cancer prevention and healthy lifestyles, while also offering access to specialised healthcare services to better identify and understand cancer risks factors. 4P-CAN partners also presented a new tool, at the intersection of healthcare providers and citizens/patients, to identify citizens presenting higher risks of developing cancer, by observing scientific/medical data and by integrating social components and behavioural patterns.
Partners also shared and discussed ideas for next year’s final event to conclude the project.
Finally, 4P-CAN Coordinator and co-founder of the Centre for Innovation in Medicine (INOMED), Marius Geantă, together with Prof. Gabriel-Marian Hâncean from the University of Bucharest, presented the Living Lab activities to representatives of IARC. The session was followed by the Art of Network exhibition, where stories from people living in Lerești were represented through artworks created from collected data. These pieces illustrate how citizen engagement, community collaboration, and data sharing can transform approaches to primary cancer prevention.
"As we conclude the 4P-CAN Consortium Meeting at the IARC headquarters in Lyon, we do so with renewed confidence in the strength and relevance of our joint work. Holding this meeting at IARC carried a strong symbolic meaning for our consortium. We were gathered at the heart of cancer prevention research, in an institution that has shaped this field globally for the past 60 years. It is especially meaningful that IARC is also a partner in the 4P-CAN project, contributing directly to the scientific foundation and impact of our work. The meeting in Lyon reaffirmed our shared commitment to building innovative and effective approaches to cancer prevention across Europe. As the project moves forward, 4P-CAN continues to show the value of multidisciplinary collaboration and innovation in addressing complex public health challenges. Our discussions also highlighted that top-down policy action can be significantly strengthened by bottom-up approaches, including living labs and community-based engagement. By combining strategic vision with practical, locally rooted solutions, we can maximise the impact of cancer prevention efforts and help ensure they are both effective and sustainable."
"The 19 partners of the 4P-CAN project met for their annual meeting at the premisesof the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon (IARC, specialised agency of the World Health Organisation), where they presented their ongoing activities and discussed future directions for cancer prevention and citizen engagement. This meeting followed the recent public launch of the 5th edition of the European Code Against Cancer, which presented the 14 updated evidence-based recommendations for the public and the corresponding 14 policy recommendations, on 4 February 2026, marking World Cancer Day. Anchored in these recommendations, the 4P-CAN project aims to bridge the gap between evidence and implementation. Entering its final year of implementation, the consortium’s activities will focus on applying them across diverse national and community contexts, with particular attention to reducing inequalities in Central and Eastern Europe."
