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EU Missions under Horizon Europe

Horizon Cancer Mission: Older Patients' Quality of Life

Funds five projects, €5-6M each, that develop and test care approaches built around what cancer patients over 65 actually need during and after treatment.

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More than two out of three new cancer diagnoses in Europe are in someone aged 65 or older, and that share keeps growing. Yet most cancer research still treats age as an afterthought: older patients are consistently left out of clinical trials, so treatments, care pathways and even the outcomes researchers measure end up built around younger, healthier patients. This topic funds closing that gap —

Researching the care needs of cancer patients aged 65 and older, then developing, testing and scaling holistic care approaches and tools — through pragmatic clinical trials or effectiveness-implementation hybrid designs run in real-life care settings, not lab studies — to reduce comorbidities, impairments and frailty and improve quality of life during and after treatment. Work covers quality-of-life assessment across patient cohorts, age-specific treatment and follow-up regimens (including prehabilitation before treatment starts), and care domains from pain management and mental health to rehabilitation and health/digital literacy. Patients, survivors, caregivers and SSH experts have to be directly involved throughout, trial endpoints have to be defined jointly with them, and the resulting evidence has to hold up across the diversity of EU Member States' and Associated Countries' health systems.

CycleiHow often this grant runs — e.g. annually, on a rolling basis, or a one-off call.One-off
Next deadlineiThe next date applications are due. Rolling means you can apply any time.15 Sept 2026
Decision timeiTypical time from the deadline to the funder's decision.22 weeks
Project durationiHow long the funded work is expected to run.
Award typeiThe form of funding — grant, equity, loan, tax credit, etc.Grant
Match fundingiThe share of project costs you must cover yourself. 0% = fully funded.0%
Funding pooliThe total budget available across all awards in this round.€25M

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Last verified: 25 Aug 2026Funder reference: HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-07Source: ec.europa.eu