EUCAIM: Pioneering a unified approach in European cancer care

Cancer remains one of the most challenging health concerns of our time. Despite advancements in medical science , the battle against this complex disease remains. The central issue in contemporary oncology is the disease’s fragmented approach to its diagnosis and treatment.

Medical images, essential for accurate cancer diagnosis, are often isolated within various healthcare systems across Europe. This fragmentation leads to delays in diagnosis, inconsistencies in treatment, and a general lack of unified, accessible data for research and innovation.

EUCAIM: A collaborative solution

Imagine a future where cancer imaging datasets, currently scattered and isolated, are unified into a user-friendly, open infrastructure accessible to all stakeholders. This is precisely the vision of the European Federation for Cancer Images (EUCAIM).

EUCAIM is at the forefront of developing a pan-European digital federated infrastructure of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) pan-cancer anonymized images from Real-World Data. This ambitious project seeks to create a comprehensive atlas of cancer images, covering both common and rare types, while ensuring data sovereignty and adherence to the highest ethical standards.

With substantial funding of 36 million Euros under the DIGITAL program and involving 21 clinical sites across 12 countries, EUCAIM is set to expand its reach. The project’s scope goes beyond mere data collection; it focuses on utilizing this data effectively. It plans to deploy at least 50 AI algorithms and clinical predictive and prognostic models, marking a significant move towards personalized cancer care.

Empowering precision medicine with EUCAIM

The initiative’s strength is its commitment to gathering data and transforming it into a dynamic resource for medical professionals across Europe. EUCAIM’s infrastructure fosters a collaborative environment essential for the rapid development and rigorous benchmarking of AI-based tools in cancer management. These tools are not just technological feats; they are keys to unlocking personalized care, enabling clinicians to make more informed, data-driven decisions in diagnosing and treating patients.

EUCAIM’s vision extends into creating a synergistic network where collaboration fuels progress. This network is pivotal in accelerating the journey from data collection to actionable insights, ensuring that advancements in AI are rapidly translated into clinical practice. The result is a tangible enhancement in patient care, marked by precision, efficiency, and a deeper understanding of individual patient needs.

Quibim’s integral role in EUCAIM

Quibim is a critical player in the EUCAIM project, seamlessly integrating its QP-Insights^® platform which will serve as the main backbone for the Central Atlas of Medical Images within the EUCAIM infrastructure.

Our expertise in AI algorithms and data processing, especially in de-identification, annotation, and harmonization, plays a pivotal role in the EUCAIM ecosystem. By enhancing data quality and ensuring AI models’ robustness, we effectively address the challenges of maintaining data consistency across multiple providers. Simultaneously, we are deeply committed to managing patient privacy. Our unique contribution lies in providing advanced image de-identification tools, integral to safeguarding patient confidentiality. Additionally, our image and feature harmonization pipelines are crucial for minimizing batch effects in datasets, a key factor in training reliable AI models within the EUCAIM infrastructure while optimizing the use of cancer images for research and clinical applications.

Our involvement in EUCAIM goes beyond technical expertise, reflecting a deep commitment to democratizing precision medicine and making it accessible to a broader range of healthcare organizations.

The efforts in advanced data anonymization and harmonization, while strictly adhering to GDPR compliance, are vital in maintaining the integrity and reliability of the data before storage. This meticulous approach significantly enhances the effectiveness of cancer care.

Advancing data privacy and integrity

Our expertise in data anonymization is crucial in EUCAIM’s data management strategy, ensuring adherence to GDPR compliance through rigorous de-identification processes. We ensure the confidentiality of personal data in DICOM files. Our contribution extends also into developing data preprocessing tools and services. The company leads the charge in image annotation and harmonization pipelines, minimizing the differences across images acquired at different institutions while optimizing the performance of AI models developed with these harmonized datasets. The involvement signifies more than technical input; it represents a commitment to the global accessibility of precision medicine.

Shaping the future of cancer care together

The EUCAIM project is more than an infrastructure development; it’s about innovating healthcare. The promise of EUCAIM foresees a future where every cancer patient receives care tailored to their unique needs based on precise, data-driven insights. This collaboration sets new cancer treatment and research standards, offering hope and advanced solutions to this global health challenge.

Looking ahead, the EUCAIM project, with Quibim’s participation, is set to implement at least 50 AI algorithms and tools by the end of the project. These tools will pioneer early disease detection and significantly improve treatment chances, underlining the project’s commitment to tissue-agnostic precision medicine.

This is a future where every diagnosis is precise, every treatment is personalized, and every patient’s journey is at the heart of healthcare innovation.

EUCAIM is co-funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement number 1011100633.