IARC and partners collaborate on an AI system to improve the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours

Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and partner institutions will collaborate to design and implement an innovative multistage system based on artificial intelligence (AI) to support precise diagnosis and therapy for patients with brain tumours. The work will be conducted as part of the European Unified Cancer diagnostics and treatment AI agent (EUcanAI) project.

IARC, which produces the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumours series, the international standard used by oncologists and pathologists for cancer diagnosis, will provide the comprehensive classification of tumours of the central nervous system, as well as the framework to support the design, training, and implementation of the various AI modules and components developed within the project.

The assessment and clinical management of brain tumours are very complex and highly dependent on individual expertise. The goal of EUcanAI is to develop networked AI systems that are specialized for each individual treatment step – patient consultation, diagnostics, and therapy planning – to support fast reliable care in line with clinical guidelines.

The EUcanAI project officially started on 1 September 2026, but partners began preparatory work with the coordinators on 25 June. The project is led by Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany, in partnership with IARC and 11 other institutions in Germany, Austria, and Denmark.

The project is funded for 4 years under the “European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder” programme within “Horizon Europe”.