2026 All-Island Cancer Data Forum

Feb 6, 2026 · KATIE CREMIN

The second All-Island Cancer Data Forum was hosted by Queen’s University Belfast on 26–27th January 2026, bringing together policymakers, researchers, clinicians, patient advocates and industry representatives from across the island of Ireland and internationally. Convened under the All-Island eHealth Hub for Cancer, led by the University of Limerick and Queen’s University Belfast, the Forum focused on how cancer data can be better used to deliver real-world benefit for patients, health systems and society.

Discussions explored the health and societal dividend of cancer data, the deployment of data to deliver real-world impact, and the development of sustainable cancer data infrastructure aligned with the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and the UK Health Data Research Service (HDRS). Participants highlighted the need to move beyond fragmented data systems towards trusted, interoperable and federated approaches that support patient-centred research while preserving public trust.

Leaders at the Forum endorsed the Harnessing Cancer Data for Better Health seven-point roadmap as a potential framework to guide future collaboration across policy, research and health services. Emphasis was placed on strengthening all-island cooperation across areas including genomics, imaging, treatment pathways and access to clinical trials.

Capability building and applied skills development were also central to the Forum, with the OHDSI Ireland All-Island Node providing a platform for researchers to gain hands-on experience in federated analysis and real-world evidence studies using the OMOP Common Data Model. This initiative supports aligned skills development across Ireland and Northern Ireland, enabling research while maintaining local data control and strengthening readiness for EHDS and HDRS.

Speaking at the Forum, Minister of Health for Northern Ireland, Mike Nesbitt, highlighted the role of digital transformation and data-informed cancer research in improving patient outcomes, referencing recent progress in health data infrastructure and research strategy.

Across sessions, patient advocates reinforced that transparency, purpose and clear public benefit are central to building trust and enabling responsible data use. Aligned governance, capability development and sustained investment were identified as critical enablers to ensure cancer data can be translated into actionable intelligence to inform policy and practice.

The Forum concluded with a shared commitment to continued all-island collaboration to strengthen cancer data infrastructure, support EHDS and HDRS readiness, and deliver measurable improvements in cancer research, care and outcomes.