International activity Cancer work is international, and such activity focuses on research and cooperation between various organisations. The Cancer Society carries out extensive international cooperation with a variety of organisations, research bodies and authorities. Nordic Cancer Union The Cancer Society is a member of the Nordic Cancer Union, the collaborative body for Nordic cancer organisations, which supports inter-Nordic cancer research and carries out joint anti-cancer projects. Association of European Cancer Leagues The CSF is a member of the Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL). The ECL promotes cancer prevention by raising awareness of the European Code Against Cancer and by sharing best practices in patient counselling, support and rehabilitation. The CSF participates in ECL working groups to influence cancer prevention and screening, tobacco policy, pharmaceutical policy and patient support. Union for International Cancer Control The CSF is a member of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and particularly supports its work to strengthen cancer prevention in developing countries. EU projects The CSF is currently involved in a number of EU-funded projects. The DigiCanTrain project (2023-2026) is designing and implementing training for cancer care professionals in Europe. The training supports the delivery of more efficient and person-centred health services, digital cancer care services and the use of modern health technologies. The two-year (2022-2024) EU project Boosting the Usability of the EU Mobile app for Cancer Prevention (BUMPER) aims to develop a cancer prevention mobile phone app for EU citizens. The CSF is participating with 14 other organisations in the development, testing and deployment of the app. The collaborative project Establishing of Cancer Mission Hubs: Networks and Synergies(ECHoS) involves 57 organisations and 28 European countries. ECHoS will lay the foundations for the establishment of a European network of National Cancer Mission Hubs (NCMHs). The Joint Action on Cancer and other NCDs prevention (JAPreventNCD) is an ambitious project involving more than 20 EU Member States as well as Iceland, Norway and Ukraine. The project aims to reduce the burden of cancer and other noncommunicable diseases by supporting strategic policy-making. EUCanScreen (Joint Action on the implementation of cancer screening programmes) aims to improve the implementation and effectiveness of EU-recommended and ongoing cancer screening programmes (cervical, breast, colorectal). It also supports the introduction of new screening programmes (prostate, lung, stomach). Nearly 30 EU Member States are participating in the Joint Action. International cancer research organisations The Finnish Cancer Registry is represented in several international collaborative research organisations. The Cancer Registry has active scientific and cancer-related cooperation with the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Sirpa Heinävaara, Research Director of the Finnish Cancer Registry, is the Finnish representative on the IARC Scientific Council. The Cancer Registry also works closely with the Association of Nordic Cancer Registries (ANCR). Janne Pitkäniemi, Director of the Cancer Registry, and Tytti Sarkeala, Director of Screening, are the Finnish representatives on the ANCR Board. The Cancer Registry also works closely with the European Network of Cancer Registries (ENCR) by participating in meetings and training activities. Other organisations and networks The Cancer Society is involved in a range of other international activities in collaboration with various organisations or networks. We are a member of the Framework Convention, which supports the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and of the International Cancer Information Service Group (ICISG) (), which develops high quality cancer counselling services. In addition, the Finnish Cancer Registry carries out extensive international joint work.
