Our purpose, vision and missions
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We are dedicated to an integrated and innovative approach to cancer control, uniting all key stakeholders in France and around the world. Our shared goal is to reduce the incidence and mortality of cancer, enhance the quality of life for patients, and address health inequalities.
Our purpose
Leading the national fight against cancer, we bring together and coordinate efforts to adapt, improve, supplement and accelerate the battle against the disease. Promoting an integrated vision of health, medical, scientific, social and economic aspects associated with cancerous diseases, we endeavour to serve the entire population: patients, caregivers, healthcare system users, general population, healthcare professionals, researchers, and decision-makers.
Our vision
Every year, more than 430,000 French people are diagnosed with cancer, which remains the leading cause of mortality in our country. The impact of cancers in our society is exacerbated by the increase in cases associated with demographic ageing[DS1] and the persistence of major and debilitating sequelae.
However, genuine progress has been achieved: one in two people diagnosed with cancer are now cured. In addition, our improved knowledge on prevention offers reasons to hope.
Today, defeating cancer is no longer a utopian dream.
Our key missions
Reducing the burden of cancer means acting at every stage: prevention, screening, care, research and innovation. We bring together expertise and stakeholders from across the country to improve cancer control, support patients, and prepare the future of cancer care.
Prevent cancer onset: we design prevention campaigns to provide information on the onset of cancers and risk factors, and to promote the adoption of healthy behaviours.
Screen more: we help arrange and simplify organised screening programmes, and we carry out information campaigns to encourage French people to participate. We also prepare the screening of the future, eg. lung cancer screening (IMPULSION programme).
Ensure the same quality care throughout the country: we define the authorisation and accreditation criteria for healthcare institutions and professionals involved in cancer care to ensure that all our fellow citizens benefit from the same quality and safety of care.
Account for all patient needs: supportive care, right of non-disclosure, job retention: we support all the stakeholders to allow every patient to have a normal life.
Produce and disseminate state-of-the-art guidelines for professionals: we draft guidelines with top experts in the field of cancer care organisation and pathways (multidisciplinary consultative meetings, diagnosis delivery processes, supportive oncological care, etc.), on therapeutic strategies, medicines and their adverse effects. The aim is to provide all healthcare professionals with the state of the art in these topics.
Find more about our publications
Structure and fund research: we are tasked with implementing, funding and coordinating research and development initiatives in cancer care. We designate cancer research entities and organisations, meeting quality criteria, in consultation with the relevant public research organisations. We aim to develop excellence-based fundamental research and accelerate the transfer of findings for the benefit of patients.
Every year, we organize a dozen competitive calls for proposals and follow up the selected and funded proposals, representing almost 170 projects per year.
Learn more about our calls for proposals
Anticipate therapeutic innovations: to stay ahead of upcoming developments, we have implemented a Horizon Scanning process that helps us identify high-impact innovations that may arise within a two-year period. We work with all agencies to anticipate their impact. We are also involved in preventing tensions by identifying at-risk medicines and drivers for action.
Strengthen international cooperation, as it is now key to solving the most complex scientific questions. In 2023, we set up “G7 cancer”, a coordination partnership including the leading countries in the fight against cancer. A consensus has been reached on four work topics: international data strategy, focused on paediatric cancers, poor prognosis cancers, inequalities, and prevention.
Broaden our knowledge on cancers, cancer onset, risk factors and patient outcomes: we develop epidemiological cancer observation via monitoring tools, studies, data collection and analysis. We also participate in the evaluation of the healthcare system, care and health pathways.