CCTG, EORTC and UK3CR welcome G7 commitment to accelerate global progress against cancer

Brussels, BE| Kingston, ON | London, UK – June 24, 2026 — The Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG), the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), and the UK Collaborative for Cancer Clinical Research (UK3CR) welcome the G7 Leaders’ announcement recognising cancer as a global priority and calling for stronger international cooperation to improve outcomes for patients.

Canada, Europe, UK and G7 partners have a longstanding history of collaboration in cancer research and clinical trials. Through international academic trial networks and the broader oncology community, researchers and clinicians have worked across borders for decades to test new treatments, improve standards of care, reduce side effects and enhance quality of life for people affected by cancer.

Academic cancer clinical trials are among the fastest, most independent and most patient-centred ways to translate innovation into routine care. By rigorously evaluating new treatments, technologies and care strategies in real-world health systems, they generate trusted, unbiased evidence that helps clinicians, patients and policymakers understand what works, for whom, and at what cost.

The G7 commitment comes at a critical time. Cancer trials are increasingly complex, costly and administratively burdensome, while many patients still face barriers to participation based on geography, resources and access to specialised testing. Greater cooperation among Canada, the European Union, UK and G7 partners can help reduce duplication, streamline regulatory and ethics processes, improve data sharing, and expand access to trials for more patients.

CCTG, EORTC and UK3CR call on governments and research funders to provide sustained funding for academic cancer clinical-trial infrastructure. Public investment is essential to answer questions that matter most to patients and health systems, including how to improve survival, reduce treatment burden, support rare and hard-to-treat cancers, and ensure that advances reach patients faster and more equitably.

“Academic clinical trials are the engine that turns discovery into better cancer care,” said Dr. Janet Dancey, CCTG Chair. “By strengthening Canadian, European and G7 collaboration, we can accelerate innovation, reduce unnecessary burden, generate trusted evidence, and deliver better outcomes for patients.”

CCTG, EORTC and UK3CR cancer clinical trial organisations stand ready to work with governments, funders, regulators, health systems, patient partners, clinicians, scientists and industry to build on decades of collaboration and advance the next generation of cancer clinical trials.

The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) is an academic clinical research organisation, which unites clinical cancer research experts across the globe to define better treatments for cancer patients to prolong survival and improve quality of life. Both international and multidisciplinary, EORTC’s network comprises of over 4200 collaborators involved in cancer treatment and research in 1100 institutions across 74 countries. Conducting translational research, and phase 2 and 3 trials, EORTC offers an integrated approach to therapeutic strategies and quality of life. EORTC Headquarters, a unique international clinical research infrastructure, are based in Brussels, Belgium, from where its various activities are coordinated and run by over 240 staff.

Caroline Moulins, EORTC Head of Communications
caroline.moulins@eortc.org | C. +32 2 774 13 68

The Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) is a cancer clinical trials research cooperative that runs phase I–III trials to test anti-cancer and supportive therapies across Canada, and internationally. Headquartered at Queen’s University, CCTG has supported more than 700 trials enrolling 100,000 patients from 40 countries on 6 continents through a global network of 20,000 investigators and clinical trial staff. CCTG is the Canadian Coordinating Clinical Trial Network for the US NCTN and is a national program of the Canadian Cancer Society. CCTG’s aim is to improve survival and quality of life for all people with cancer. Learn more at cctg.ca.

Lisa Callahan, CCTG Communications Leader
lcallahan@ctg.queensu.ca | C. 343-363-7158

UK3CR is the UK Collaborative for Cancer Clinical Research. We enable the UK’s leading clinical cancer researchers to co-ordinate best practice, initiate collaborations and connect with strategic partners. Our members are multi-disciplinary groups of clinical experts in all cancer types, based throughout the four nations of the UK. Their voices inform the development of new clinical trials and research initiatives across the cancer research landscape, both nationally and internationally. UK3CR is hosted by the Association of Medical Research Charities and funded by the UK Government’s Office for Life Sciences via the UKRI Medical Research Council.

Ellen Hinkley, UK3CR Communications Manager
e.hinkley@amrc.org.uk | C. 02045705493