About

Background

Despite the progress in cancer research and treatment, inequalities in cancer incidence, survival, and care remain a pressing challenge in Europe. People with lower education levels, limited access to healthcare, or living in disadvantaged or rural areas face greater barriers to prevention, screening, and treatment.

A key factor driving these disparities is low health literacy — the ability to find, understand, and use health information to make appropriate decisions. When individuals and organisations lack these skills, the result is often delayed diagnosis, poorer outcomes, and widening inequalities.

CURTAIN responds directly to this challenge ensuring that every citizen — regardless of background or geography — has the knowledge and confidence to act on cancer information.

By adopting the acronym CURTAIN (Cancer ineqUalities thRough liTerAcy IN Europe), the project highlights the persistent cancer inequalities between Eastern and Western Europe, which are visible today through the lens of the former Iron Curtain.

» Cancer literacy is the ability of individuals, organisations, and communities to access, understand, and use health information to make informed decisions for better health outcomes. «

Mission

CURTAIN’s mission is to build a Europe where everyone has the knowledge, tools, and opportunities to prevent and manage cancer effectively, regardless of who they are or where they live.

By strengthening cancer literacy among citizens, health professionals, policymakers, researchers, and businesses, CURTAIN fosters collaboration across sectors to close the gap in cancer prevention, diagnosis, care, and survivorship.

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Approach

To turn this vision into action, CURTAIN works through research, co-creation, and capacity-building, engaging the five main target groups to build a truly inclusive movement against cancer inequalities.

Universities
Schools
Libraries
Scientific Societies
Research Institutes

Regulatory Agencies
Governmental bodies
Regional/Local Admin
Public Services

Individuals
Social Services
NGOs
Minority groups
Patient Associations

Hospitals
Pharmacies
eHealth

Industry
Media
Employers
Banks

The project will:

Build evidence

on how cancer literacy influences prevention, screening, and treatment outcomes.

Co-design solutions

that enhance individual, community, and organisational capacities to access and use cancer information effectively.

Promote collaboration

among healthcare providers, educators, policymakers, and civil society to embed cancer literacy into everyday practice.

Develop tools, strategies, and policy

recommendations to reduce inequalities at local, national, and European levels.

Raise awareness and share knowledge

through events, Cancer Literacy Days, and networks that connect research with real-world impact.

By making cancer literacy a shared European priority, CURTAIN supports the EU Mission on Cancer and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. This contributes to saving lives, reducing inequalities, and building a healthier and more equitable Europe through improved understanding of cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and quality-of-life needs.

Cancer Literacy among Citizens

Empowering individuals to access, understand, and use reliable cancer information for prevention and early detection.

Cancer Literacy among Patients

Supporting people living with cancer to navigate healthcare systems, make informed choices, and manage their care confidently.

Cancer Literacy among Healthcare Professionals

Building the capacity of doctors, nurses, and allied professionals to communicate effectively and support patient understanding.

Organisational health literacy

Creating health-literate environments in hospitals, clinics, and institutions that make information and services more accessible to all.

Addressing knowledge gaps through digital tools

Leveraging innovation, including digital platforms and AI, to improve access to trustworthy information and combat misinformation.

Use of digital tools and AI

To reach to reach diverse populations, enhance public health education and fight misinformation, CURTAIN will:

Create the first Cancer Literacy Score (CLS)

a unique tool to measure and improve how people understand and navigate cancer care.

Promote organisational cancer literacy

by mapping stakeholders and sharing best practices through a Virtual Cancer Literacy Library

Uses artificial intelligence (AI)

via large language models (LLMs), to bridge knowledge gaps.

These digital tools are used ethically and responsibly, always within a human-led framework that values communication, education, and co-creation.