Pragmatic clinical trials to enhance the quality of life of older cancer patients (65 years and older) through nutrition

Opened

Programme Category

EU Competitive Programmes

Programme Name

Private: Horizon 2020

Identifier Code

HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-05

Call

Pragmatic clinical trials to enhance the quality of life of older cancer patients (65 years and older) through nutrition

Summary

Nutrition is of particular concern in older cancer patients due to issues like malabsorption, which is linked to adverse outcomes (such as mortality and decreased quality of life).

Moreover, cancer incidence and mortality and prevalence predictions suggest a considerable increase of older cancer patients, who are also underrepresented in clinical studies.

Hence, older cancer patients across Europe would benefit from access to optimised nutritional care-oriented interventions, to improve treatment outcomes, alleviate disease symptoms and side effects, thereby enhancing their survival and quality of life.

Detailed Call Description

Proposals should address all of the following:

  • Conduct randomised or cluster-randomised academic investigator-initiated pragmatic clinical trials to validate tailored nutritional care-oriented interventions as part of routine cancer treatment or care, which could include physical activity or psychosocial support, for older cancer patients (65 years and older);
  • Translational research is limited to supporting the conduct and analyses of the proposed clinical trial(s). Trials should consider biological stratification of the patient population to be enrolled. All data should be disaggregated by sex, gender, age, and other relevant variables, such as by measures of socio-economic status or ethnicity;
  • The chosen nutritional care-centred intervention(s) should be adapted to the needs of older cancer patients and to the specificities of the provision of care at local, regional, or national level, duly reflecting the (cultural) diversity across Member States and Associated Countries. Furthermore, affordability and accessibility should be considered;
  • The primary and secondary endpoints of the pragmatic clinical trial(s) should support overall survival, patient-reported outcomes and quality of life issues. Such endpoints should be defined together with older patients and their caregivers through research that stimulates social innovation and supports end-user engagement using participative research models;
  • Include an appropriate mix of stakeholders from various disciplines and sectors, such as physicians, academia, patients and their caregivers, patient representatives, dietitians, nutritionists, behavioural scientists, SMEs, insurance companies, charities and foundations, research organisations, civil society, regional and national health authorities;
  • All datasets produced should be described with metadata records in the EU dataset catalogue of the European Health Data Space while all tools and models should take advantage of current European research infrastructures, should follow the principles of open science and be made available through the future UNCAN.eu platform.

This topic requires the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise in the successful proposal, to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

Call Total Budget

€15.00 million

Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan

100%

Expected EU contribution per project: between €3.00 & €5.00 million.

Thematic Categories

  • Health
  • Other Services
  • Research, Technological Development and Innovation

Eligibility for Participation

  • Educational Institutions
  • Legal Entities
  • Other Beneficiaries
  • Private Bodies
  • Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
  • Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Eligibility For Participation Notes

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Call Opening Date

06/05/2025

Call Closing Date

16/09/2025

National Contact Point(s)

Research and Innovation Foundation

Address: 29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia, P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Websitehttps://www.research.org.cy/en/

Contact Person:

Mr. George Christou
Scientific Officer
Email: gchristou@research.org.cy

EU Contact Point