Interception Receives 6 Million Euros in Funding: A Decisive Step Toward Personalized Prevention of High-Risk Cancers

“Since 2021, we have been convinced that preventing cancer starts with knowing who we’re reaching out to. Interception demonstrates that tailored prevention—rooted in patients’ daily lives and developed in collaboration with community healthcare professionals—is not only possible but also effective. This funding and national recognition give us the means to turn this conviction into reality for thousands of people across France.”
Dr. Suzette Delaloge, medical oncologist, director of the Interception program, Gustave Roussy

A reality that calls for action

With an estimated 433,000 new cases in 2023, cancer remains the leading cause of death in France. In the face of this public health challenge, screening approaches targeting the general population are now reaching their limits. Approximately 30 to 40% of people who develop cancer could have been identified as being at increased risk in the years leading up to their diagnosis. Based on this finding, the Interception program was launched in January 2021 at Gustave Roussy, spearheaded by Dr. Suzette Delaloge, a medical oncologist, and Dr. Olivier Caron, an oncogeneticist.

A Nationwide Trial

Scheduled to run for four years, with completion expected in 2030, the “Interception: Cancer Prevention Program for High-Risk Individuals” will be rolled out in seven regions: Île-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Brittany, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Hauts-de-France, and Réunion.

The seven healthcare institutions involved are: Gustave Roussy, the Léon Bérard Center, the Eugène Marquis Center, the Bergonié Institute, the Avignon Provence Cancer Institute, the Elsan Group’s Parc Polyclinic, and the Réunion University Hospital.

The pilot program will target 4,350 patients across all these sites, as part of a close collaboration between community physicians, specialized centers, and primary care physicians.

Structural Special Funding

The pilot project is receiving special funding from the Health System Innovation Fund (FISS) in the amount of 4.514 M€, plus 1.5 M€ in engineering costs, for a total of 6.014 M€ over four years.

An Innovative, Patient-Centered Care Pathway

The Interception program aims to identify individuals at increased risk of cancer as early as possible in order to offer them personalized prevention and provide better care through a community-hospital collaboration. It also aims to develop new screening and prevention methods tailored to these individuals in the coming years.

Specifically, each participant receives a dedicated day at one of the accredited centers, followed by a personalized prevention and screening plan coordinated by their primary care physician, and long-term follow-up via the MyInterception digital app developed in partnership with Alira Health.

This pilot program is intended to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and adherence to this new approach, as well as the quality of collaboration among healthcare providers. This initiative complements national cancer screening programs targeting populations at moderate risk for cancer.