EU to develop data infrastructure for cancer treatment

On World Cancer Day, President Ursula von der Leyen (European Commission) announced that the Commission will set up a Common Health Data Space that harnesses and utilises a vast amount of data to fight against cancer as part of the European’s Beating Cancer Action Plan. Scientists and medical practitioners will be able to store research and clinical data to the database, as well as accessing data logged by other scientists. She stressed in her speech that a health data infrastructure is critical to link research and diagnosis with care. Paired with AI technologies that can enhance the precision of early diagnosis, the President said data can ultimately improve the quality of care, provide more insights, and reduce biased results.