New national network strengthens cancer research in Umeå

Maria Liljeholm, Acting Medical Director at Umeå Comprehensive Cancer Centre and adjunct member of the network’s steering group. 

ImageLotta Edvinsson

Collaboration around cancer research and advanced cancer care among Sweden’s Comprehensive Cancer Centres has been ongoing for several years and is now ready to be formalized. The first constitutive annual meeting was held on 16 March in Gothenburg, when the Swedish CCC Network gathered, an important step toward a more coherent structure that can serve as a joint voice and active partner in the development of cancer care.

“We see many advantages in joining forces nationally to develop high‑quality cancer care, ensure the patient perspective, and increase access to clinical research. This benefits patients as well as staff working in cancer care and cancer research across the country,” says Maria Liljeholm, physician and head of Cancer Centre Västerbotten at Umeå University Hospital. She is an adjunct member of the network’s steering group and will become an ordinary member once Umeå CCC is accredited.

Prioritise areas in the new strategy

In addition to ongoing work related to research and precision medicine, the network will prioritise areas from the new national cancer strategy “Increased survival and better quality of life – National Cancer Strategy 2.0” and contribute to implementing its goals.

In Comprehensive Cancer Centres, academia and clinical practice are closely integrated. Through national collaboration, breakthroughs, such as those within precision medicine, can be implemented more rapidly across all regions. The hope is that this collaborative model will have similar impact in other areas, such as prevention and quality of life.

Umeå University’s role and opportunities

Cancer research in Umeå is strong in both breadth and depth. For researchers at Umeå University, the national network provides new opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across the country. It also simplifies access to national resources and expertise, which can facilitate cutting‑edge projects, including clinical studies.

Through the network, researchers increase their ability to ensure that research results achieve national impact and contribute to more equitable cancer care. The network also allows researchers to help shape future cancer strategies and influence the prioritisation of research areas relevant to both patients and healthcare professionals.

“Umeå CCC’s participation in the collaboration means that researchers at Umeå University can both contribute to and benefit from national coordination that strengthens cancer research in Sweden,” says Tufve Nyholm, Professor of Medical Radiation Physics with a joint position as hospital physicist at the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Intervention at Umeå University.