A strong and competent organisation 2025

Collaboration with FICAN. The CSF worked closely with the National Cancer Centre (FICAN) in preparing the National Cancer Strategy. The National Cancer Forum brought together stakeholders and international partners (including ECHoS, ECO and the cancer societies of Sweden and Norway) to discuss, among other things, the progress of the national cancer strategy work and the Cancer Mission Hub Finland as part of the implementation of the cancer strategy.

Policy Advocacy

Work included:

• Influencing regional and municipal elections (2025)
• Preparation for the 2027 parliamentary elections
• Commenting on legislation (alcohol, tobacco, taxation, healthcare funding)
• Opposing funding cuts to NGOs

The CSF was one of the most active advocacy organisations in Finland (ranked 12th in 2025).

Parliamentary cooperation. The parliamentary cancer network organised events on the National Cancer Strategy and the need for legislation on palliative care.

Advocacy work on pharmaceutical policy. We participated in the work of the Access to Medicines working group coordinated by the Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), and followed the work of the European Fair Pricing Network (EFPN).

Nordic cooperation and EU advocacy. The Head of Public Affairs took part in the first meeting of the new advocacy network (Nordic Advocacy Task Force Group) in Copenhagen in January. The Nordic Cancer Union (NCU) board approved the priorities prepared by the advocacy network for joint advocacy work. The network also prepared policy objectives concerning EU tobacco policy.

Updating the social policy paper. During 2025, both the Cancer Society of Finland’s (CSF) own strategy and the national cancer strategy were completed, and their objectives will guide advocacy work going forward. The Head of Public Affairs prepared the advocacy plan for 2026. In addition, work began on drafting policy advocacy position papers on key advocacy themes, drawing on CSF’s policy paper.

Sustainability programme. Work began on an environmental sustainability programme, assessing environmental impacts and establishing targets, approved in November 2025.

Other advocacy activities. To strengthen experts’ advocacy skills, the Head of Public Affairs held two “Politiikan iltakoulu” (Policy Evening School) sessions, which were open to all staff. In addition, a group of experts took part in a guided visit to Parliament. Advocacy resources were increased by directing part of one communications specialist’s working time towards advocacy work. CSF actively contributed to public debate through opinion pieces on various topics.

Statements. A total of 23 statements were issued during 2025.

Organisational activity

Management and collaboration Leadership meetings are held twice monthly; broader forums coordinate activities across member organisations. Hybrid and multi-location working models are used.

A shared project model based on agile methods is in place, with ongoing development.

Membership organisations At the end of 2025, total membership was 93,186. Activities focused on cooperation, shared practices, and supporting member organisations.

Cancer Foundation Finland provided €1 million in operational support to member associations.

Personnel

In 2025:

• 118 employees at year-end
• ~108 person-years worked

The goal is to maintain motivated, supported staff and invest in skills development.

IT, Data Protection, and Security

Key developments included:

• Introduction of secure remote access systems
• REDCap for research data
• Ongoing development of registry systems and reporting tools

Strict compliance with data protection regulations is maintained, with active monitoring of legislative and security standards. Staff training and audits are conducted regularly.

Finance and administration

Focus areas included improving financial processes, forecasting, and reporting. A long-term financial reporting model was introduced.

Funding sources include government grants, EU projects, and fundraising. While public funding is expected to decrease, EU funding and internal support from the Cancer Foundation are growing.

Fundraising

Results

In 2025, the Cancer Foundation raised €14.7 million, exceeding its €11.6 million target.

Cancer Foundation Finland also has two sub-brands: Munien puolesta (“For the Balls”) and the Christmas Campaign. Their development continued in a target group-oriented way while ensuring they consistently reflect the values and visual identity of the parent brand. In connection with the Munien puolesta campaign, it was decided to introduce an AI tool to enable more tailored, audience-specific marketing and communication outputs.

The revenue targets for the Pink Ribbon campaign were increased by revising the target group approach and identifying new markets for ribbons and related products. One example of new marketing channels is retail marketing. Marketing is always carried out through multiple channels, with a consistent visual identity and message across all of them. Cooperation with corporate partners also plays a significant role in implementing both the Pink Ribbon and Munien puolesta campaigns.

Cancer Foundation Finland communications

Cancer Foundation Finland’s strengthened its reputation and brand in a planned and goal-oriented manner through communications. External communications focused on core messages organised by quarterly themes, donor and campaign communications supporting fundraising, and broad media visibility. In addition, diverse content was produced for the Munien puolesta, Pink Ribbon, and Christmas campaigns. Toward the end of the year, the Foundation’s research grants and recognition awards were announced. The expertise of Cancer Organisations’ specialists was also utilised in media work.

The aim of the Foundation’s communications is to maintain and strengthen its position as a preferred charitable cause and partner in the future. In 2025, the Cancer Foundation published 11 press releases and held two press events: the Pink Ribbon launch event and the “Dancing with the Stars” Pink Ribbon press event.

Earned media visibility

In 2025, the Cancer Foundation was mentioned 379 times in editorial media, reaching a potential audience of 49.3 million. (In 2024: 363 mentions, 45.6 million reach.) Of these mentions, 251 were in online media, 119 in print, and 8 in radio and TV. Potential reach increased by 7.7% compared to the previous year.

The Pink Ribbon campaign was mentioned 397 times in editorial media, with a potential reach of 76.6 million. (In 2024: 393 mentions, 60.4 million reach.) Of these mentions, 257 were online, 118 in print, and 22 in radio/TV. Potential reach increased by 25.8%.

The theme of the 2025 Pink Ribbon campaign was breast cancer. A panel of physicians and cancer researchers supported the campaign thematically. Media coverage reflected the theme well: cancer research was mentioned in 223 articles and breast cancer in 826. Breast cancer + Pink Ribbon appeared together in 99 articles; cancer research and Pink Ribbon in 109 articles; and the ribbon designer in 59 articles. Media visibility was highest in October.

Donor communications

Donor communications were carried out regularly through newsletters, thank-you materials, quarterly appeals, and daily social media updates. Interviews with cancer researchers and online articles were published on men’s most common cancers and breast cancer.

In 2025, the Cancer Foundation Finland website had 126,000 users (152,000 in 2024) and 172,000 sessions. The Pink Ribbon website had 88,000 users (123,000 in 2024) and 122,000 sessions. Social media channels were actively updated. The Pink Ribbon Facebook page had just over 100,000 followers at year-end, similar to the previous year.

Research and grant communications

Information about research grants and applications is provided on the Cancer Foundation website, where applications can also be submitted. Researchers are encouraged to share their results through interviews and online articles, which are also featured in donor communications under the “Research Journey” concept.

A new section presenting research funded by the Foundation was launched on the website. Data-driven approaches and planning continue to be developed in web and social media communications to increase engagement and follower numbers.

Cancer Foundation Finland’s Celebrations Committee

The Celebrations Committee carries out voluntary fundraising activities on behalf of the Cancer Foundation and has its own designated fund within the Foundation. In 2025, the committee was inactive and no grants were awarded from its fund.

Communications

The aim of the CSF’s communications is to provide information and present services in a way that makes them easy to find. Communication content supports target groups in different life situations and information needs.

The communications department is responsible for internal and external communications, as well as brand and reputation. It works closely with experts from psychosocial support, health promotion, and the Finnish Cancer Registry.

Strengthening awareness and brand

The new Luoto service brand was widely promoted across multiple channels. This branding work was part of a broader strategy programme aimed at unifying psychosocial services and improving access to them.

Luoto advertisements appeared in professional journals and in the organisation’s own publications. Digital advertising was displayed in hospitals, regional service screens, pharmacies, and public transport in Helsinki. Social media campaigns reached over 1.55 million people during the year.

The new strategy, completed in spring 2025, set strengthening awareness and branding as key goals. Preparations began for updated communication guidelines to be launched with the new strategy in early 2026.

A communications training programme (“Voima”) for experts began in 2025 with nine participants, aiming to strengthen communication, interaction, and networking skills.

An external newsletter published 11 times a year also supports awareness, with over 1,500 subscribers.

Campaign communications

World Cancer Day (February 2025) highlighted patient-centred care under the theme “United by Unique,” communicated in Finnish as “together as individuals.”

During European Cancer Week in May, themes such as prevention, early detection, access to medicines, digital health, research, and survivorship were promoted, culminating in World No Tobacco Day.

The “Use Your Time” campaign (March) aimed to increase cervical cancer screening participation among 25–30-year-old women. It reached over 195,700 people on social media and nearly 227,000 via influencers, and was widely visible in outdoor advertising.

Websites

Key websites include All About Cancer, Cancer Organisations, Without Cancer, Luoto, and the Finnish Cancer Registry.

In 2025:

• All About Cancer (Finnish): 807,849 users
• Cancer Organisations site: 44,112 users
• Without Cancer: 40,703 users
• Cancer Registry: 15,378 users

Social media

The most important channels are Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

• Facebook: 15,055 followers
• LinkedIn: 1,749 followers
• Instagram: 3,010 followers
• YouTube: 2,172 subscribers

Content focuses on support, health promotion, and organisational visibility.

Media communications

In 2025, the Cancer Society of Finland was mentioned 829 times in editorial media, with a potential reach of 121 million.

Key topics included cancer screening, statistics, research, risk factors (e.g. UV radiation and nicotine), and health policy issues.

A total of 34 press releases were issued, and media services responded to 25 inquiries.

Syöpä-Cancer magazine

The Syöpä-Cancer magazine, the main print publication, was published four times in 2025 with a circulation of nearly 78,000. It was distributed to members and subscribers, with a separate Swedish-language supplement (3,500 copies). A digital version is available online.

Supporting member organisations’ communications

Templates and guidance were provided to member organisations. A national communications network met monthly, and training was held on topics such as AI in communications and social media marketing.

Website renewal projects continued across several regional associations.

Internal communications

The organisation develops and maintains a shared intranet and provides staff training. Two training sessions on new Teams features were held, and internal communication effectiveness was assessed through surveys.

International activities

NCU. In 2025 we were actively involved in the work of the Nordic Cancer Union (NCU). Our representatives took part in three meetings of the NCU board and served on its advocacy working group. In 2025, the NCU distributed funding worth €900,000 to joint Nordic, researcher-led cancer research projects, as well as funding ongoing strategic projects.

ANCR. The CSF had strong representation in the Association of Nordic Cancer Registries (ANCR), with the Director of the Finnish Cancer Registry and the Director of Screening both serving on its leadership group. ANCR promotes and develops Nordic cooperation in cancer registry research. It also maintains the Nordic cancer statistics database (NORDCAN).

ECL. The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) is an umbrella organisation for national cancer societies, with 30 member organisations from 25 European countries. Our Secretary General, Juha Pekka Turunen, sits on the ECL board and was elected Chair of the ECL board for 2026–2027. The Association of European Cancer Leagues aims to ensure equitable access to high-quality, appropriate cancer care across Europe and to raise awareness of cancer.

IARC (the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer, based in Lyon). We work actively with IARC on scientific research and cancer control. In 2025, the Research Director of the Finnish Cancer Registry served as Finland’s representative on the IARC Scientific Council.

UICC. The Cancer Society of Finland is a member of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and supports cancer control in non-industrialised countries, including through the ICRETT fund (International Cancer Technology Transfer Fellowships).

FCA. The global implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is an international treaty system aimed at reducing tobacco use. The CSF supports the implementation of the FCTC through membership of the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA).

ICISG. We take part in the International Cancer Information Service Group (ICISG) network, which brings together cancer information services from different countries and organisations to develop their work. ICISG was founded in 1996 and has around 70 member organisations.

CAPOC (Common Action for the Prevention of Overweight and Obesity among Children). We are involved in this joint project of the Nordic cancer societies, which aims to prevent overweight and obesity in children by helping to develop health-promoting environments. The project prepared and published Nordic policy recommendations in 2024.

DigiCanTrain. Coordinated by Turku University of Applied Sciences, this EU-funded project (2023–2026) is producing online training for healthcare professionals working with cancer patients. The training aims, among other things, to support more effective, person-centred health services and the use of modern health technology. In 2025 we took part in piloting the training content and trainers. In December 2025, the DCT training programme applied for accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Oncology in Europe (ACOE).

ECHoS (Establishing of Cancer Mission Hubs: Networks and Synergies). We are involved in this project, which aims to find solutions to the challenges of cooperation between organisations and stakeholders working in cancer, and to bring together a wide-ranging network of cancer-related stakeholders. The project is being carried out in collaboration between 60 organisations across 30 European countries. In 2025, the focus has been on defining and establishing, together with FICAN, a Cancer Mission Hub for Finland, which will begin operating alongside the implementation of the national cancer strategy in 2026.

PRAISE-U. We took part in the PRAISE-U project, which aims to reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by prostate cancer in EU member states through intelligent early detection.

EUCanScreen project. The Finnish Cancer Registry launched several research projects, including an interview-based study on screening among sexual and gender minorities, and a randomised pilot of lung cancer screening across five regions. The pilot project published an article on integrating smoking cessation support into lung cancer screening across the EU, as well as a protocol for a review examining the effectiveness of recruitment practices used in lung cancer screening.

EU-CancerWatch project. Launched in 2025, this project sees the Cancer Registry working with the JRC to improve the European Cancer Information System (ECIS).

EU-Prevent project. The Cancer Registry, together with the Health Promotion Unit, is developing a lifestyle-based cancer risk calculator.