July 1^st marked the official launch of IMPACT – Improving peritoneal and pleural metastases using aerosolised chemotherapy – an initiative funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme (HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-03, Grant Agreement No. 101288858). Coordinated by the University of Gent (Belgium), IMPACT brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of 13 partners from across Europe. The project aims to address the critical, unmet medical needs of patients with peritoneal metastases and malignant pleural effusion from colorectal and gastric cancers.

Although emerging clinical observations suggest that aerosolised drug delivery (ADD) offers significant advantages over standard care, robust, large-scale clinical evidence remains limited. IMPACT is designed to generate this missing clinical evidence by evaluating the efficacy of Pressurised Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy (PIPAC) and Pressurised Intrathoracic Aerosol Chemotherapy (PITAC). Beyond clinical outcomes, the project will assess improvements in patient quality of life and evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of these advanced techniques.

A defining pillar of IMPACT is the integration of the patient voice at every stage of the research lifecycle. Collaborating closely with a dedicated Patient Advisory Board and key project partners, Digestive Cancers Europe (DICE) will lead the co-creation framework, ensuring the patient perspective is embedded from the initial clinical trial design through to the final execution phases. This methodological approach aims to demonstrate the tangible impact and transformative value of active patient involvement in clinical trials and translational research. The consortium has officially commenced its activities with a successful virtual kick-off meeting, establishing the project’s foundational roadmap. The partners look forward to a highly collaborative and impactful journey to advance treatment paradigms in this critical oncological field.

Author:

Giusy Rizzo