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UCC Secures Major EU Funding for XR Cancer Survivorship Project
Announced during International Men’s Health Week (June 9th - 15th), University College Cork has received funding to lead a major new €6 million European project that will revolutionise how adolescents and young adults (AYAs) across Europe understand and manage the long-term effects of testicular cancer.
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in people assigned male at birth aged 15 to 39 years, with incidence rates in Europe doubling over the past 40 years. While survival rates exceed 95%, survivors can face a lifetime of complications - physical, psychological, and social.
TRANSCEND-XR, a 5.5-year project funded by Horizon Europe, will ethically co-create and evaluate a cutting-edge eXtended Reality (XR) experience aimed at improving the quality of life of AYA testicular cancer survivors.
This project marks a radical shift from traditional strategies to an engaging, interactive medium tailored to young people’s digital fluency. Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality & Digital Reality will be considered in this innovative cancer survivorship research project. The TRANSCEND-XR intervention will be tested in a randomised controlled trial involving 230 testicular cancer survivors across Europe, using a digital platform co-designed with survivors, their loved ones, and healthcare professionals.
The initiative brings together 15 partners from 12 countries and 15 disciplines, including clinicians, epidemiologists, XR developers, 3D artists and, crucially, testicular cancer survivors themselves.
A Crisis in Young Men’s Health
"Announcing TRANSCEND-XR during Men’s Health Week underlines our commitment to tackling an overlooked yet deeply impactful men’s health issue," said Dr Mohamad Saab, Senior Lecturer at UCC’s School of Nursing & Midwifery and TRANSCEND-XR Project Coordinator.
"We know that young survivors of testicular cancer often face a heavy burden of late effects - from cardiovascular disease to mental health challenges - yet few resources speak directly to their lived experience. TRANSCEND-XR will change that."
TRANSCEND-XR aims to:
- Explore the unmet needs of testicular cancer survivors, their families and healthcare teams;
- Co-create a fully immersive, evidence-based XR educational intervention;
- Evaluate the effectiveness, cost-efficiency and acceptability of the intervention;
- Translate research into real-world care, policy and education.
Innovation in Cancer Recovery Support
"This project will serve as proof of concept for developing and implementing ethical, immersive educational tools that support cancer survivorship," added Dr Saab.
Governance, patient involvement and long-term sustainability are core to the project’s success, with pathways in place to scale the intervention across health systems.
UCC partners in the TRANSCEND-XR team: L-R: Dr Maria O’Malley (School of Nursing & Midwifery), Mr David Murphy (School of Computer Science and IT), Professor Josephine Hegarty (School of Nursing & Midwifery), Dr Mohamad Saab (School of Nursing & Midwifery), Dr Aileen Murphy (Department of Economics), Dr Ann Kirby (Department of Economics), Dr Sheena McHugh (School of Public Health), Professor Jack Gleeson (CUMH and Cancer Research), Professor Francis Shiely (School of Public Health and Clinical Research Facility).
TRANSCEND-XR builds on Dr Saab’s research at UCC and his prior success using virtual reality to improve awareness of testicular diseases among young men. A prior UCC study found that virtual reality gaming may be effective in promoting men’s awareness of testicular diseases and increasing testicular self-examination. Now this UCC-led research project, will take the next step: empowering survivors to reclaim health, knowledge, and agency after cancer.
Professor John F. Cryan, Vice President for Research and Innovation at UCC said: "Congratulations to Dr Mohamad Saab and his UCC project partners on securing this funding that will tackle a critical healthcare challenge in young men. Building on the success of the HRB-funded E-MAT trial, TRANSCEND-XR exemplifies how interdisciplinary research can drive innovation, and can tackle complex healthcare challenges that will improve the lives of people affected by cancer."
This Horizon Europe funded project will be conducted in 12 European countries over a 5.5-year period, commencing June 2025. Project partners include:
- University College Cork (Coordinator), Ireland
- University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
- Tallaght University Hospital, Ireland
- Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- The National Cancer Institute of Milan, Italy
- Gustave Roussy Institute, France
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, England
- Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Catholic University of Portugal, Portugal
- Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovak Republic
- University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Croatia
- FundtoInnovate Limited, Ireland
- KHORA, Denmark
- PredictBy Research and Consulting S.L., Spain
- Association of European Cancer Leagues, Belgium