Often referred to as a “silent killer,” ovarian cancer is the most lethal of female cancers. Issues of late detection and poor survival rates continue to persevere, leading to increasing levels of incidence and mortality. Data from the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition have stressed that ovarian cancer must be recognized as a global health issue, one that should be prioritized at local, national, and international levels and across all socioeconomic backgrounds.
In response to this urgent health challenge, the European Union (EU), in coordination with the European Health and Digital Executive Agency, has launched DISARM, a Horizon Europe Innovation Action project that brings together 28 partners from 12 countries, including 10 from the EU, the UK, and Canada.
Officially launched on September 1, 2025, the ambition of the DISARM project is to help close significant gaps that exist in hereditary ovarian cancer management, promoting both advanced risk-assessment and early-detection strategies as pivotal to this effort. Mature technologies ready for large-scale deployment will be combined with emerging innovations, providing evidence and pathways for health-care systems to incorporate more effective approaches into routine ovarian cancer practice.
Angelos Amditis, PhD, MBA
Speaking about the launch of DISARM and its impact, Project Coordinator Angelos Amditis, PhD, MBA, expressed his excitement for the endeavor: “DISARM aspires to lay the groundwork for concrete advancements in hereditary ovarian cancer management. Harnessing world-class expertise in the fight against cancer, the project envisions a future where early detection of ovarian cancer becomes standard.”
Key Pillars of DISARM
Funded under the EU Mission on Cancer and coordinated by the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems in Greece, DISARM will run for 4 years, with a total budget of €13.2 million (more than $15 million). The project’s foundation comprises four key pillars:
Pillar A: Ovarian cancer risk assessment in routine health care, investigating multifactorial risk assessment vs standard practices in four EU Member States (Lithuania, Portugal, Czech Republic, Greece);
Pillar B: Early detection of ovarian cancer through a set of highly accurate, easy-to-use, and affordable technologies to be upscaled and validated in five countries (UK, Lithuania, Portugal, Czech Republic, Greece);
Pillar C: Intelligent digital assets to optimally support and enhance risk assessment (Pillar A) and early detection (Pillar B);
Pillar D: Activities to ensure the adoption and uptake of the project’s solutions into routine health-care practice.
Building on this vision, Dimitra Dionysiou, PhD, Scientific Co-Coordinator of DISARM, highlighted the importance of linking innovation to real-world needs: “Our focus in DISARM is on bringing together scientific and technological innovation with real-world considerations, with the hope of making our technologies widely accessible and truly improving the lives of women.”
Dimitra Dionysiou, PhD
From a clinical perspective, Fátima Vaz, MD, MSc, Medical Oncology Director at IPO Lisboa, Portugal, and Clinical Coordinator of DISARM, underlined the project’s role in supporting healthcare goals across Europe: “DISARM supports key goals, including expanding access to genetic testing for hereditary ovarian cancer, promoting equity across Europe, raising awareness, and strengthening prevention efforts against this deadly disease. I consider the clinical evaluation of promising early detection methods vital for women at risk of ovarian cancer.”
With its broad geographic coverage and international collaboration, DISARM seeks to implement transformative advancements in ovarian cancer management across Europe and beyond.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101214318.
