Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, known as IARC, are working with several partner institutions on a new artificial intelligence project. The project is called the European Unified Cancer diagnostics and treatment AI agent, or EUcanAI.
The goal is to build a system that can support doctors as they diagnose and treat patients with brain tumours. Brain tumour care is complex, and outcomes often depend heavily on the individual expertise of the doctor involved.
IARC produces the World Health Organization Classification of Tumours series. This is the standard reference used by oncologists and pathologists worldwide to diagnose cancer.
As part of EUcanAI, IARC will contribute its classification system for tumours of the central nervous system. This information will help guide how the AI tools are built and trained.
What the AI System Will Do
EUcanAI is designed as a multistage system. Instead of one single AI tool, it will use several connected AI modules that each focus on a different part of patient care.
These stages include patient consultation, diagnostics, and therapy planning. Each module is meant to work with the others as part of a connected network.
The aim is to give doctors fast, reliable support that follows established clinical guidelines. This could help reduce the impact of differences in expertise between hospitals and specialists.
Brain tumour assessment often requires input from multiple types of specialists. An AI system built around WHO classification standards is meant to make that process more consistent.
Project Timeline and Funding
The EUcanAI project officially began on September 1, 2026. However, partner institutions started preparatory work with the project coordinators earlier, on June 25.
The project is led by Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany. It includes IARC along with 11 other partner institutions spread across Germany, Austria, and Denmark.
Funding for the project comes through the European Innovation Council Pathfinder programme. This programme operates under the broader Horizon Europe research initiative.
The project has secured four years of funding. That timeline is meant to allow researchers enough time to design, train, and test the AI system before wider use.
IARC's role goes beyond just supplying classification data. The agency will also help shape the framework used to design and train the AI components throughout the project.
The partnership brings together cancer research expertise and AI development across multiple countries. Each institution is expected to contribute to different stages of the system's development.
For now, the project remains in its early stages. Work will continue over the coming years as the AI modules are built out and tested against clinical standards.
