YARN Project – European Youth Cancer Network (EU4Health, 2025–2028)

EU4Health project · 2025–2028

YARN is an EU co-funded health project that brings together 19 beneficiary organisations and 39 associated partners across 28 European countries to improve the lives of children, adolescents and young adults affected by cancer. BeatCancer.eu is its official platform.

Project at a glance

Funding programme: EU4Health Programme (2021–2027) of the European Union
Grant agreement: 101219053, call EU4H-2024-PJ-02-4
Duration: 1 July 2025 – 30 June 2028 (36 months)
Budget: €6,242,806 in total, of which €4,994,245 (80%) is the EU contribution
Coordinator: Youth Cancer Europe, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Consortium: 19 beneficiaries, 1 affiliated entity and 39 associated partners
Countries: 25 EU Member States and 3 eligible neighbouring countries
Youth Cancer Council: 100 young people with lived cancer experience
Structure: 8 interconnected work packages

Frequently asked questions

What does YARN stand for?

YARN is the short name of the European Youth Cancer Network. The European Commission describes YARN as a project that weaves together and builds on the earlier EU-CAYAS-NET and OACCUs projects.

Is YARN an EU project?

Yes. YARN is co-funded by the European Union under the EU4Health Programme (grant agreement 101219053) and is listed by the European Commission among the projects financed under Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. The EU covers 80% of the €6.24 million budget.

Who runs the YARN health project?

Youth Cancer Europe, based in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, coordinates a consortium of 19 beneficiary organisations: patient organisations, hospitals, universities and health authorities in 12 countries, supported by 39 associated partners.

How is YARN related to EU-CAYAS-NET and beatcancer.eu?

EU-CAYAS-NET (2022–2025) created the European Network of Youth Cancer Survivors and this website. YARN (2025–2028) is its successor project, and beatcancer.eu is YARN's official platform.

How can I get involved?

Young people with lived cancer experience can apply to the Youth Cancer Council. Organisations can become associated partners by contacting the coordinator. Anyone can join the community, use the free tools and share the resources.

What you can do here

Official sources

The project facts on this page come from the European Commission's records. Verify them at the source:

Our Vision

To maintain and further strengthen the European Youth Cancer Network, making quality information available in a user-friendly way to young people affected by cancer, their carers, healthcare professionals, and all stakeholders. We envision a Europe where every young person has access to comprehensive support, social networking, and digital tools throughout their cancer journey.

Our Mission

We build on previous EU co-funded projects to advance and expand the European Youth Cancer Network into a multi-actor collaborative platform. Through peer support, user-friendly resources, communication campaigns, and high-visibility events across Member States and associated countries, we empower young people to be actively engaged in decision-making, improve their quality of life, and advocate for enhanced cancer care.

YARN Project

What is YARN?

The European Youth Cancer Network (YARN) is an EU co-funded project bringing together 19 beneficiary organisations and over 40 associated partners across Europe. YARN focuses on peer support, mental health, education and career reintegration, long-term follow-up, and equity in cancer care for children, adolescents, and young adults. At its core is the Youth Cancer Council - a pan-European advisory group of 100 young people with lived cancer experience shaping project decisions and outcomes. The project delivers evidence-based frameworks, digital tools, training programmes, and public awareness campaigns through eight interconnected Work Packages.

Spanning 25 EU Member States and 3 eligible neighbouring countries, and delivered by 19 Beneficiaries, 1 Affiliated Entity, and 39 Associated Partners, YARN is the largest multi-stakeholder, lived experience-driven effort of its kind in Europe to improve quality of life for children, adolescents, and young adults affected by cancer.

19

Beneficiary Organizations

39

Associated Partners

28

European Countries

By the end of the project, YARN will have:

Trained 100 youth cancer advocates
Reached 50 million people through awareness campaigns
Implemented EDI standards in 10 healthcare institutions and 10 patient organisations
Implemented and evaluated the Transition of Care Guideline in two best-practice centres
Hosted policy events across Europe, including the European Parliament and national governments
Delivered a multilingual digital platform providing high-quality, user-friendly information and resources

The project's legacy will be a stronger, more inclusive system for young people affected by cancer—designed with them, for them.

YARN Project Overview

The European Youth Cancer Network (YARN) is an EU co-funded project bringing together 19 beneficiary organisations and over 40 associated partners across Europe. YARN focuses on peer support, mental health, education and career reintegration, long-term follow-up, and equity in cancer care for children, adolescents, and young adults. At its core is the Youth Cancer Council - a pan-European advisory group of 100 young people with lived cancer experience shaping project decisions and outcomes. The project delivers evidence-based frameworks, digital tools, training programmes, and public awareness campaigns through eight interconnected Work Packages.

Download Project Overview (PDF)

YARN Project Leaflet

Download our comprehensive leaflet to learn more about the YARN project, its objectives, and how it supports young people affected by cancer across Europe.

Download Leaflet (English)

Available Translations

English Nederlands Français Deutsch Ελληνικά Italiano Lietuvių Polski Português Română Slovenščina Español Українська

Guidelines for Inclusive Events for People Affected by Cancer

This booklet brings together practical, lived experience-informed recommendations to help patient organisations, healthcare organisations, researchers, public institutions, companies, and anyone organising meetings, workshops, conferences, or other events for people affected by cancer make them more inclusive and accessible.

Read the guidelines online Download PDF (English)

Cover of the Guidelines for Inclusive Events for People Affected by Cancer

EDI Self-Assessment Checklist for Patient Organisations

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) means making sure that people are not excluded or disadvantaged because of factors such as disability, age, gender, language, ethnicity, where they live, or their financial circumstances.

The EDI Self-Assessment Checklist developed by Youth Cancer Europe helps patient organisations reflect on whether people can access, participate in, and benefit from their activities and services equally, and identify practical areas for improvement.

We are grateful to the volunteers and partner organisations (LIGA, UBB, CF IF, UCA, EDS, POLA, PMC, HCS, SKCF, PanCare) who supported the translation of the checklist, helping make this resource accessible to more communities across Europe.

This publication was developed by Youth Cancer Europe within the European Youth Cancer Network project, with input from the Youth Cancer Council, whose lived experience and feedback helped shape this publication.

Its content and framing draw on the Recommendations for Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive Cancer Care and the EDI Train-the-Trainer Toolkit. The checklist is also aligned with the Recommendations and Implementation Roadmap for Minimum Standards of Specialist Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Care Units, ensuring coherence with broader standards for equitable, person-centred cancer care.

Cover of the EDI Self-Assessment Checklist for Patient Organisations, developed by Youth Cancer Europe within the European Youth Cancer Network, co-funded by the European Union

Download the booklet (English)Read online

Organisation of Long-term Follow-up (LTFU) care

– PLAIN language summary

All languages

English Nederlands Français Deutsch Ελληνικά Italiano Polski Português Română Español Українська

This PanCare PLAIN language brochure (hereafter referred to as summary) is intended for CAYA cancer survivors, their families and caregivers, healthcare professionals seeking to improve long-term follow-up (LTFU) care, and anyone else interested in optimising the organisation of LTFU care. This summary is primarily based on the evidence-based PanCareSurFup guidelines for organisation of LTFU care for CAYA cancer survivors [1].

Why Long-Term Follow-Up (LTFU) Care Matters

About 2 in 3 survivors of childhood, adolescent and young adult (CAYA) cancer experience health issues later in life caused by the cancer or its treatment (called

) [2]. Well structured long-term follow-up (LTFU) care can help detect late effects early and provide treatment and support, if necessary. LTFU care can have a positive impact on the quality of life of CAYA cancer survivors and the health system as a whole.

In many countries in Europe structured LTFU care still needs to be established or improved [3]. This PLAIN summary provides an overview of key elements of LTFU care and how you can get started or improve already existing care.

General recommendations for LTFU care:

All survivors of CAYA cancer should have life-long access to
Person-centred care
Person-centred care means that survivors are treated as individuals and as equal partners in decisions around their LTFU care. This means that their personal circumstances, values, needs and preferences are taken into account for decisions around their health.
LTFU care.
LTFU care should start no later than 5 years after diagnosis.
All survivors of CAYA cancer should be considered equal partners in decisions regarding their LTFU care.
LTFU care should follow a structured approach and
Evidence-based recommendations
Evidence-based means the recommendations come from research and are backed up by studies.
.
LTFU care should cover all domains of life (physical, mental and social wellbeing) and be provided by a multidisciplinary team.
The needs and preferences of survivors and caregivers should be central in decisions about the organisation of LTFU care in their country/region.

What are key elements of the organisation of LTFU care?

The PanCare network formulated

for the organisation of LTFU care [1]. These recommendations cover three areas: Structure of care, Personnel involved and Components of care.

What structures are recommended to be in place to provide LTFU care?Who is recommended to be involved in providing LTFU care?What are the recommended components of LTFU care?

Surveillance of late effects: The main goal of LTFU care is the (early) detection and treatment of late effects that may occur after CAYA cancer. In order to do this, healthcare professionals need
Evidence-based Guidelines for LTFU care
PanCare offers annually updated LTFU guidelines for the surveillance (monitoring) of late effects. These guidelines are available on the PanCare website and free to use for everyone. In total, there are 43 guidelines each covering one late effect.
View the PanCare LTFU Guidelines
The PanCare Guidelines are also translated into PLAIN language summaries for survivors, their families and non-specialist healthcare providers.
View the PanCare PLAIN language summaries
to follow.
Education for healthcare professionals
As well as local education opportunities, you may find webinars, conferences and online courses about LTFU care organised by international networks interesting.
PanCare CCI-E SIOP-E
: It is important that involved healthcare professionals have knowledge and experience of dealing with late effects and cancer survivorship topics.
Education for survivors and their families: As well as expert counselling by an LTFU specialist, survivors and their families should receive
Education for survivors and their families
PanCare offers annually updated PLAIN language summaries about late effects and recommendations for long-term follow-up care in lay language. These PLAIN summaries are available on the PanCare website and free to use for everyone. In total, there are 47 PLAIN summaries, each covering one late effect. They are currently available in English, Dutch, Greek, Hungarian, Italian and Spanish.
View the PanCare PLAIN language summaries
The PLAIN summaries are based on the PanCare Guidelines for healthcare professionals.
View the PanCare LTFU Guidelines
and why LTFU care is important for them.
Coordination of research: LTFU care clinics should be involved in scientific research about late effects and LTFU care.
An individualised Survivorship Care Plan (SCP): LTFU care clinics should provide individualised SCPs for all survivors no later than at entry into LTFU care. An SCP includes a
Treatment summary
A treatment summary is an overview of the original diagnosis and all connected treatments. This document should be provided by the LTFU care clinic. PanCare offers a treatment summary template that is freely available for everyone.
View the PanCare Treatment Summary template
and recommendations for surveillance of potential late effects.
Plan for care transitions: Successful LTFU care involves three key transitions: from active treatment to LTFU care, from a survivorship expert centre to primary care (for low-risk survivors), and from paediatric to adult health services.

What can I do?

In this PLAIN summary, we discussed the importance of LTFU care and key elements of organisation of LTFU care. It can feel overwhelming to read these recommendations, especially if LTFU care in your country still needs to be established or improved. Systemic changes take a long time and are a huge undertaking. However, small steps can already make a difference.

If you are a healthcare professional or a patient advocate and involved in organising or improving LTFU care in your country, you can use the PanCare Implementation Resources to help make changes. You do not have to start from zero – use what is already there!

If you want to get involved in systemic changes in your country, we recommend that you get in touch with national or European organisations (PanCare, SIOP-E, CCI-E and YCE) for healthcare professionals, survivors, caregivers or patients.

If you are a survivor and want to improve your personal LTFU care, you may find it useful to take a look at the resources available on pancare.eu, beatcancer.eu and the OACCUs Toolbox. If you do not have a

yet, it may also be helpful to ask your LTFU care clinic, if available, to provide one to you.

Where can I find more information?

You can use the resources linked below to explore further information and additional materials on the organisation of LTFU care:

Implementing Survivorship Care (PanCare) – Materials that can be used for the implementation of LTFU care in your country/clinic. Among other resources, this includes:
- PanCare LTFU Guidelines for Surveillance of Late Effects – Annually updated evidence-based and consensus-based guidelines for surveillance of late effects after CAYA cancer
- PanCare PLAIN language summaries – Annually updated information about late effects and LTFU care in lay-language for survivors, families and non-specialist healthcare providers
- PanCare Survivorship Care Plan (SCP) Long Version – A treatment summary and recommendations for surveillance of late effects
- PanCare Survivorship Care Plan (SCP) Short Version – A shorter SCP including a treatment summary and recommendations for surveillance of late effects
Joint Recommendations for Mental Health and Psychosocial Care in CAYA Cancer Survivorship – Recommendations for mental health and psychosocial care developed by healthcare professionals and CAYA cancer survivors
European Standards of Care for Children and Adolescents with Cancer – Chapter 6 on Survivorship Care and Transition Practices – Information on care for children and adolescents with cancer, specifically best practices for LTFU care and transition
Health-care transitions for young people living beyond childhood and adolescent cancer: recommendations from the EU-CAYAS-NET consortium – Evidence-based recommendations for transition of care
Barriers and facilitators associated with long term follow-up care for childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer survivors: a systematic review – Information on barriers and facilitators associated with LTFU care

[1] Michel G et al. Evidence-based recommendations for the organization of long-term follow-up care for childhood and adolescent cancer survivors: a report from the PanCareSurFup Guidelines Working Group. Journal of Cancer Survivorship. 2019;13(5):759-772. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-019-00795-5

[2] Hudson M et al. Long-term Follow-up Care for Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Survivors. Pediatrics. 2021;148(3). doi: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-053127

[3] Essig S et al. Follow-Up Programs for Childhood Cancer Survivors in Europe: A Questionnaire Survey. PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e53201. doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0053201

Materials about Transition and Long-Term Follow-Up Care

About the PanCare Survivorship Care Plan (SCP)

The PanCare Survivorship Care Plan (SCP) is a personalized document for childhood and adolescent cancer survivors. It provides a summary of treatment received and tailored recommendations for long-term follow-up care and healthy living. The SCP is designed to help you better understand and manage your long-term health and to support communication with healthcare professionals.

Read online

All languages

Our European Network

Click on countries to explore our beneficiary partners across Europe

European Youth Cancer Network

Explore our network across Europe - beneficiary organizations implementing YARN and associated partners collaborating to strengthen youth cancer support

Beneficiary Countries

Associated Partners

Beneficiary & Associated

Other Countries

Network Overview

Beneficiary Organizations:19

Associated Partners:39

European Countries:28

Our Beneficiary Partners

Organizations directly implementing YARN across Europe

Youth Cancer Europe

Project Coordinator

Romania

CCI Europe

Patient Organisation

Netherlands

Pagalbos Onkologiniams Ligoniams Asociacija (POLA)

Patient Organisation

Lithuania

Centro Internazionale per la Promozione dell'Educazione e Sviluppo (CEIPES)

Education Partner

Italy

Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro

Patient Organisation

Portugal

Universidad de Cádiz

Academic Institution

Spain

Europa Donna Slovensko

Patient Organisation

Slovenia

Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai

Academic Institution

Romania

European Regional and Local Health Authorities (EUREGHA)

Health Authority Partner

Belgium

PanCare

Patient Organisation

Netherlands

Medical University of Vienna

Academic Institution

Austria

Saving Kids with Cancer Foundation

Patient Organisation

Poland

Hellenic Cancer Society

Patient Organisation

Greece

SIOP Europe

Medical Partner

Belgium

European Oncology Nursing Society

Nursing Partner

Belgium

Charity Foundation Inspiration Family

Patient Organisation

Ukraine

European Cancer Organisation

Multidisciplinary Partner

Belgium

Fundació Sant Joan de Déu

Medical Institution

Spain

Associated Partners

Organizations collaborating to strengthen support for young people with lived cancer experience

CanTeen Ireland

Youth Support Organization

Ireland

Childhood Cancer Foundation

Support Organization

Ireland

YouCan Cancer Support Network Ireland

Support Network

Ireland

Deutsche Leukämie-Forschungshilfe - Aktion für krebskranke Kinder e.V

Research & Support

Germany

On Est Là

Support Organization

France

European Network Of Medical Residents In Public Health

Medical Partner

France

Survivors Österreich

Youth Support Organization

Austria

Kom op tegen Kanker

Support Organization

Belgium

Foundation Gold

Support Organization

Bulgaria

Krijesnica

Support Organization

Croatia

Pagkyprios Syndesmos Karkinopathon Kai Filon 1986

Support Organization

Cyprus

Spolecne k usmevu, z.s.

Support Organization

Czech Republic

Region Midtjylland

Health Authority Partner

Denmark

Sylva ry

Support Organization

Finland

Suomen Syöpäpotilaat ry

Support Organization

Finland

Karkinaki

Support Organization

Greece

Kyttaro

Youth Support Organization

Greece

Magyar Gyermekonkologiai Halozat

Medical Partner

Hungary

Érintettek Egyesület

Support Organization

Hungary

Lega Italiana Per La Lotta Contro I Tumori - Sezione di Palermo

Support Organization

Italy

Latvian Association of Oncology Patient Organizations OncoAlliance

Support Network

Latvia

Onkologines ligos paliesto jaunimo asociacija

Youth Support Organization

Lithuania

Survivors Lëtzebuerg

Youth Support Organization

Luxembourg

Erasmus Universitair Medisch Centrum Rotterdam

Academic Institution

Netherlands

Fundacja Pani Ani

Support Organization

Poland

Marzena Wieczorek-Przybylo M-Powered

Support Organization

Poland

Fundacja Urszuli Smok

Support Organization

Poland

Uniwersytet Medyczny W Lublinie

Academic Institution

Poland

ACREDITAR

Support Organization

Portugal

Instituto Portugues De Oncologia De Lisboa Francisco Gentil EPE

Medical Institution

Portugal

Unidade Local De Saude De Coimbra EPE

Medical Institution

Portugal

Asociatia Little People Romania

Support Organization

Romania

Detom s rakovinou, n. o.

Support Organization

Slovakia

Foundation Little Knight

Support Organization

Slovenia

Ung Cancer

Youth Support Organization

Sweden

Viata fara leucemie, Asociatie Obsteasca

Support Organization

Moldova

Asociatia Little People Moldova

Support Organization

Moldova

Ung Kreft

Youth Support Organization

Norway

Universitetet I Oslo

Academic Institution

Norway

Get in Touch

Have questions or want to get involved? We'd love to hear from you.

Contact Information

Email

info@beatcancer.eu

Website

www.beatcancer.eu

Building on EU-CAYAS-NET

YARN builds upon the foundation laid by EU-CAYAS-NET, the European project that created the beatcancer.eu platform and established the European Network of Youth Cancer Survivors. Learn more about this pioneering initiative that brought together organizations across 18 European countries.

Learn About EU-CAYAS-NET

Partner Project

OAC Connects Us (OACCUs)

OACCUs was an EU-funded project (2021-2024) that brought together fourteen partners from six EU member states to develop an EU-wide network for young cancer survivors, focusing on quality of life through healthy lifestyle and peer connection.

Visit OACCUs Website

Join the European Youth Cancer Network

Be part of a community-driven network that empowers young people with lived cancer experience across Europe. Connect with peers, access user-friendly resources, participate in communication campaigns and events, and help shape the future of cancer care for young people.

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Community members

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Countries represented

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YARN - European Youth Cancer Network

Project at a glance

Frequently asked questions

What you can do here

Apply to the Youth Cancer Council

Read the guidelines and reports

Join the community

Use the free tools

Contact the project team

Official sources

Our Vision

Our Mission

What is YARN?

By the end of the project, YARN will have:

YARN Project Overview

YARN Project Leaflet

Available Translations

Guidelines for Inclusive Events for People Affected by Cancer

EDI Self-Assessment Checklist for Patient Organisations

Related Documents

Organisation of Long-term Follow-up (LTFU) care

All languages

Why Long-Term Follow-Up (LTFU) Care Matters

What are key elements of the organisation of LTFU care?

What can I do?

Where can I find more information?

Materials about Transition and Long-Term Follow-Up Care

About the PanCare Survivorship Care Plan (SCP)

All languages

Our European Network

European Youth Cancer Network

Network Overview

Our Beneficiary Partners

Youth Cancer Europe

CCI Europe

Pagalbos Onkologiniams Ligoniams Asociacija (POLA)

Centro Internazionale per la Promozione dell'Educazione e Sviluppo (CEIPES)

Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro

Universidad de Cádiz

Europa Donna Slovensko

Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai

European Regional and Local Health Authorities (EUREGHA)

PanCare

Medical University of Vienna

Saving Kids with Cancer Foundation

Hellenic Cancer Society

SIOP Europe

European Oncology Nursing Society

Charity Foundation Inspiration Family

European Cancer Organisation

Fundació Sant Joan de Déu

Associated Partners

CanTeen Ireland

Childhood Cancer Foundation

YouCan Cancer Support Network Ireland

Deutsche Leukämie-Forschungshilfe - Aktion für krebskranke Kinder e.V

On Est Là

European Network Of Medical Residents In Public Health

Survivors Österreich

Kom op tegen Kanker

Foundation Gold

Krijesnica

Pagkyprios Syndesmos Karkinopathon Kai Filon 1986

Spolecne k usmevu, z.s.

Region Midtjylland

Sylva ry

Suomen Syöpäpotilaat ry

Karkinaki

Kyttaro

Magyar Gyermekonkologiai Halozat

Érintettek Egyesület

Lega Italiana Per La Lotta Contro I Tumori - Sezione di Palermo

Latvian Association of Oncology Patient Organizations OncoAlliance

Onkologines ligos paliesto jaunimo asociacija

Survivors Lëtzebuerg

Erasmus Universitair Medisch Centrum Rotterdam

Fundacja Pani Ani

Marzena Wieczorek-Przybylo M-Powered

Fundacja Urszuli Smok

Uniwersytet Medyczny W Lublinie