Important EU Project

17/02/2026

IMPORTANTProject at the EUnetCCC – European Network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres Symposium on Cancer Treatment De-escalation

We are pleased to announce that the IMPORTANT Project will participate in the two-day on-site symposium:

'Innovating Cancer Care Through De-escalation Studies'
📅 5–6 March 2026
📍 Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam

Hosted by the EU-funded Joint Action EUnetCCC, in collaboration with the European Academy of Cancer Sciences, this symposium will gather up to 200 leading experts — including clinicians, researchers, bioinformaticians, healthcare professionals, patient representatives, policymakers and industry stakeholders.
The focus: advancing high-quality cancer treatment de-escalation studies across Europe.

Cancer treatment de-escalation aims to safely reduce treatment intensity while maintaining optimal patient outcomes. As a Horizon Europe-funded clinical trial, the IMPORTANT study contributes directly to this effort by investigating personalised dose optimisation strategies for older patients with advanced HR+/HER2- breast cancer.

By contributing to this important dialogue, we aim to help shape more patient-centred, evidence-based, and sustainable cancer care across Europe.

We look forward to engaging discussions and collaborative exchange in Amsterdam.

11/02/2026

🎯 Optimising Treatment for Older Patients with Breast Cancer

🔗 Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4M20d68Lkw

Older patients with metastatic breast cancer remain underrepresented in clinical trials — despite representing a significant and growing population.

The IMPORTANT EU Project, funded under the EU Cancer Mission, is addressing this critical gap.

Coordinated by Örebro University and led scientifically by Professor Antonis Valachis, IMPORTANT aims to optimise the dosing of CDK4/6 inhibitors through a pragmatic randomised controlled trial integrating geriatric assessment–based dosing strategies.

By moving beyond the “one-size-fits-all” approach, the project seeks to ensure treatments are both effective and better tolerated for older patients.

🔬 The project will:
• Conduct a multinational clinical trial across six European countries
• Generate high-level evidence on geriatric assessment–guided dosing
• Improve quality of life while maintaining treatment efficacy

🌍 Older patients deserve evidence-based treatments tailored to their specific needs. IMPORTANT contributes to more inclusive, personalised and sustainable cancer care across Europe.

IMPORTANT evaluates personalised dosing strategies for CDK4/6 inhibitors in older patients with metastatic breast cancer using geriatric assessment. The proj...

04/02/2026

🎉 New publication accepted at PERSUASIVE 2026!

The IMPORTANT EU Project is pleased to share that a new research paper has been accepted at the 21st International Conference on Persuasive Technology (PERSUASIVE 2026), taking place March 10–13, 2026 in Hakodate, Japan.

📄 The paper explores an important question:
❓ Why do so many older adults still hesitate to participate in clinical trials?

Decentralised clinical trials aim to improve access and inclusion — but across Europe, healthcare systems and patient support structures differ widely. These local differences strongly shape patients’ decisions to enroll and remain in a trial. In this study, clinicians and patient representatives across six European countries were interviewed to identify what support patients need most — and how digital tools must be adapted to local realities.
✨ Key insights include:
➝ Barriers to participation vary significantly by country and context
➝ “One-size-fits-all” approaches risk overlooking real patient needs
➝ Personalised, human-centred and localised support is essential

The findings inform the development of a Patient Companion App, designed to help older breast cancer patients feel more informed, supported and confident throughout their trial journey.
📍 Conference: PERSUASIVE 2026
🗓 March 10–13, 2026 | Hakodate, Japan
🔗 https://lnkd.in/dZzH2pRZ
This work contributes to:
IMPORTANT — IMPlementing geriatric assessment for dose Optimization of CDK 4/6-inhibitors in older bReasT cAncer patieNTs (Grant Agreement No. 101104589)

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Maryam Rabie Yeganeh

02/02/2026

We are pleased to contribute to the Mission Cancer Cluster Working Group on Citizen Engagement, alongside Horizon Europe projects committed to strengthening the role of citizens, patients, and communities in cancer research.

We are working together with the Mission Cancer Cluster partner projects: LIVERATION, SAGITTARIUS, PragmaTIL, CARE1, PRIME-ROSE, DE-ESCALATE, IntReALL2020, LEGATO, IMPACT-AML, SALVOVAR, and STREXIT2.

Through this cluster collaboration, the IMPORTANT EU Project supports joint efforts to enhance meaningful citizen and patient involvement, exchange best practices, and address common challenges in engagement across Europe.

Citizen engagement is central to the Mission Cancer vision — ensuring research and innovation are developed with and for the people they aim to serve.

30/01/2026

Newsletter #15 is out!
We are pleased to share the January 2026 edition of the IMPORTANT trial newsletter – a Horizon Europe–funded project advancing personalized care for older patients with breast cancer.

Key updates include:
✔️ 93 patients recruited so far, with all 13 sites open and active
✔️ A toxicity-driven interim analysis planned at 100 patients to assess dose optimization strategies
✔️ Expansion of the network with four new satellite sites in Sweden starting in early 2026
✔️ Ongoing oversight by an independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) to ensure patient safety
✔️ Continued progress toward implementing geriatric assessment–guided treatment in real-world clinical settings
The IMPORTANT trial is a collaborative European effort aiming to improve outcomes, quality of life and treatment tolerability for older adults receiving CDK4/6 inhibitors.
👉 Follow the project and stay updated:
🔗 https://lnkd.in/dJqrjmWx
🔗 Bluesky: https://lnkd.in/dQrtsX-d
🔗 X: https://lnkd.in/dauu5vHf

This project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101104589

30/01/2026

💡 Improving treatment tolerability for older adults with breast cancer

Older patients benefit from CDK4/6 inhibitors, but often experience higher toxicity and treatment discontinuation.

The IMPORTANT trial is addressing this gap by implementing geriatric assessment–guided dose optimization in a pragmatic, real-world clinical trial setting.

The goal: better outcomes, improved quality of life, and more individualized care for older adults.

🌍 Learn more about the project: https://important-project.com/

This project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101104589.

IMPORTANT Project IMPlementing geriatric assessment for dose Optimization of CDK 4/6-inhibitors in older bReasT cAncer patieNTs The Vision To design and conduct a pragmatic clinical study with a decentralised approach for older patients (both male and female) with refractory advanced HR+/HER2- negat...

08/12/2025

We are excited to share that the IMPORTANT project was recently featured at two important events in Greece and Cyprus!

🇬🇷 At the 36th Panhellenic Congress of Hematologists in Athens, Christiana Markou presented insights on the new EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) and what it means for doctors and hospitals. She also highlighted how projects like IMPORTANT and RETENTION use AI to support personalised cancer care and improve patient management.

🇨🇾 Later in Cyprus, during AI Month 2025 at European University Cyprus, Christiana joined a round-table discussion titled “Bringing AI to the Clinic: What Health Practitioners Need to Know”
The session encouraged open dialogue between medical, legal, and technology experts on the safe and effective use of AI in healthcare.

We are proud to see the project contributing to major conversations on healthcare innovation, ethics, and AI across Europe!

🇪🇺 Funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement 101104589

06/11/2025

IMPORTANT EU Project at the EU Health Policy Platform Live Webinar!
We are proud that Antonis Valachis, Coordinator of the IMPORTANT Project, participated as a panelist in Panel Session 1: Treatment and Optimisation during the EUHPP Live Webinar: Cancer Mission Diagnosis and Treatment (Refractory Cancers and Diagnostics) Cluster Policy Webinar, held on 3 November 2025.

The discussion focused on advancing cancer diagnosis and treatment across Europe — a mission that aligns closely with IMPORTANT’s goal to optimize and personalize breast cancer therapy for older patients through a pragmatic, decentralized clinical study conducted across six EU countries.

31/10/2025

The IMPORTANT EU Project project was proud to be present at the ESMO - European Society for Medical Oncology) Congress 2025 in Berlin, where Prof. Laura Biganzoli presented the project during her talk on “Systemic treatment for aging patients” — part of the session “Optimising treatment for aging patients living with metastatic breast cancer” on Saturday, 18 October 2025.

Her presentation showcased the Implementation of geriatric assessment for dose optimization of CDK4/6 inhibitors in older breast cancer patients — the IMPORTANT trial, a pragmatic randomized-controlled study supported by the HORIZON-MISS-2022-CANCER-01 program (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT06044623).

This work represents an important step toward improving treatment personalization and quality of life for older adults with advanced breast cancer, aligning with the broader mission of the IMPORTANT project to bring evidence-based geriatric assessment into clinical decision-making.

29/10/2025

🌍 IMPORTANT Project at the Horizon Europe Cancer Mission Cluster 2nd Annual Meeting – Berlin 2025 🇩🇪

On 16 October 2025, the IMPORTANT Project proudly participated in the 2nd Annual Meeting of the Horizon Europe Cancer Mission “Diagnosis & Treatment” Cluster, held at the Charité University Hospital in Berlin, Germany.

This annual gathering brought together representatives from the 13 funded projects within the Mission Cancer Cluster to:

✔️ Present project progress and future plans,
✔️ Discuss cross-cutting topics such as data management, communication, citizen engagement, and inequalities,
✔️ Exchange best practices and generate material for upcoming policy briefs and joint cluster deliverables.

🗓️ Meeting Highlights
The full-day agenda included presentations and roundtables covering:
Project status updates and shared deliverables on Data Management, Communication and a Common Work Plan,
WG1: Collaborative Framework & Data Management
WG2: Dissemination and Communication of Results
WG3: Research and Innovation
WG4: Citizen Engagement
WG5: Addressing Inequalities

💬 IMPORTANT Project’s Contributions
During the meeting, Dr. Antonis Valachis (Örebro University) chaired the WG5 – Addressing Inequalities roundtable, highlighting how the project contributes to reducing disparities in cancer diagnosis and treatment access across Europe through evidence-based and patient-centered approaches.

In the WG4 – Citizen Engagement session, led by Carina Dantas (SHINE 2Europe), Kelly Mastoraki (Circular Economy Foundation) presented IMPORTANT’s recent actions at the European Researchers' Night’ 2025 in Nicosia, Cyprus, showcasing how the project connects science and society through creativity, empathy and collaboration, engaging citizens of all ages in meaningful dialogue about cancer prevention and research.

A huge thank-you to all our partners in the Diagnosis & Treatment Cluster and to the organisers (CARE1 Project) of this inspiring and collaborative meeting in Berlin. Together, we continue advancing a more inclusive, participatory and impactful European cancer research mission.
Together, we continue advancing a more inclusive, participatory and impactful European cancer research mission.

09/09/2025

We are delighted to announce that the paper with Maryam Rabie Yeganeh from University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW, has been presented at REWBAH'25 in Valencia, Spain, co-located with RE’25.

“One Size Doesn’t Fit All”: Patient Support in a Decentralised Clinical Trial
This research explores how patient support in decentralized clinical trials can be better adapted to diverse needs — a key step toward more inclusive and effective digital health solutions.

A special thanks to our project partner FHNW for their contributions and support and to the REWBAH community for the fruitful exchange.

26/05/2025

IMPORTANT Project in Madrid – 4th Consortium Meeting 🇪🇸📍

On May 23, 2025, partners of the IMPORTANT Project came together in Madrid for the 4th consortium meeting, held at the Faculty of Psychology, UNED (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia).

It was a full day of collaboration — sharing progress, exchanging ideas and planning the next steps of the project. The agenda included presentations, discussions and creative sessions focused on enhancing patient support and advancing the project's research goals.

The meeting highlighted the value of working together in person, strengthening connections across the consortium and reinforcing the project's shared commitment.

The evening before, on May 22, the consortium partners enjoyed a warm and welcoming dinner, offering space for informal conversations and a great start to the meeting.