- EARLYSCAN launches as a new European cluster to boost early detection of heritable cancers.
- The initiative unites three Horizon Europe projects-DISARM, PREDI-LYNCH, and SHIELD-under the EU Mission on Cancer.
- By coordinating research across countries and cancer types, EARLYSCAN aims to accelerate clinical uptake and improve outcomes for people at genetic risk.
A new European collaboration cluster, EARLYSCAN (Early Screening & Hereditary Cancer Awareness Network), has been launched to strengthen prevention and early detection strategies for heritable cancers. The cluster brings together three Horizon Europe–funded projects: SHIELD, DISARM, and PREDI-LYNCH.
EARLYSCAN operates under the Mission on Cancer priority area “Prevention & early detection – early detection of heritable cancers” and aims to maximise the impact of EU investment by aligning efforts, reducing duplication, and accelerating translation into practice. Heritable cancers represent a major opportunity for earlier diagnosis and improved outcomes, as individuals with inherited genetic risk can benefit from targeted identification, surveillance, and follow-up. By working collaboratively across projects and countries, EARLYSCAN addresses early detection as an end-to-end pathway challenge rather than a single test-performance issue. The cluster brings together three projects with distinct but complementary clinical focuses and technological approaches:
EARLYSCAN operates under the Mission on Cancer priority area “Prevention & early detection – early detection of heritable cancers” and aims to maximise the impact of EU investment by aligning efforts, reducing duplication, and accelerating translation into practice. Heritable cancers represent a major opportunity for earlier diagnosis and improved outcomes, as individuals with inherited genetic risk can benefit from targeted identification, surveillance, and follow-up. By working collaboratively across projects and countries, EARLYSCAN addresses early detection as an end-to-end pathway challenge rather than a single test-performance issue. The cluster brings together three projects with distinct but complementary clinical focuses and technological approaches:
- DISARM focuses on improving risk assessment and early detection of ovarian cancer through validated, affordable liquid biopsy approaches and implementation-ready solutions across multiple European countries.
- PREDI-LYNCH targets early detection of cancers in individuals with Lynch syndrome, the most common hereditary cancer predisposition, using non-invasive liquid biopsy technologies combined with artificial intelligence.
- SHIELD addresses early detection and surveillance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in individuals with familial or genetic risk, validating an innovative blood-based multiplex immunoassay within a multi-centre European study.
Through EARLYSCAN, the three projects will work together under a shared governance and operating model built around dedicated working groups covering scientific oversight, clinical pathways, communication and dissemination, and technical data, reuse and artificial intelligence. Joint activities will focus on developing practical, reusable assets such as harmonised clinical pathway definitions, minimum endpoint dictionaries, shared recruitment and attrition reporting approaches, and common ethics- and GDPR-compliant practices.
A key objective of the collaboration is to ensure that evidence generated across different countries and health-system contexts is comparable and implementation-ready.
By working as a coordinated cluster rather than as isolated projects, EARLYSCAN aims to contribute to more coherent European standards for early detection and surveillance in heritable cancers, support policy and guideline development, and ultimately improve outcomes for individuals and families at increased genetic risk of cancer. The cluster’s common work plan will be formally consolidated at its first Annual Cluster Meeting in May 2026, with results, tools, and lessons progressively shared with the wider research, clinica,l and policy communities.
PREDI-LYNCH Project
LinkedIn: @PREDI-LYNCH
Instagram: @predilynch
Facebook: @predi-lynch
YouTube: @PREDI-LYNCH
LinkedIn: @PREDI-LYNCH
Instagram: @predilynch
Facebook: @predi-lynch
YouTube: @PREDI-LYNCH
About SHIELD
SHIELD is a partnership of 26 leading research centers, clinical sites, patient groups, and industry partners in 13 European countries. With a shared vision to tackle pancreatic cancer, SHIELD develops and implements a non-invasive blood test for early detection in individuals with high genetic risk, ultimately improving patient outcomes and survival in Europe and in the rest of the world. This project is funded by the European Union, under Grant Agreement no. 101214779. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. This work has received funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).