MELCAYA concluding workshop
MELCAYA is a European project funded under the EU Cancer Mission in which MPNE took part and AMER was project partner and responsible for WP9 Research engagement, patient education and advocacy.
As the project is coming to an end in November 2026, it is time to meet up with the consortium again, look at what has been achieved and discuss how to take results even further!
MELCAYA in its own words
In childhood, adolescence and young adults (CAYA), melanoma is under-studied and non-existing tailored clinical guidelines and standardized approaches lead to a very low diagnostic accuracy. Against this background, the MELCAYA project aims to understand risk factors and determinants of melanoma to improve the prevention, diagnosis and prognosis of melanomas in CAYA. To achieve these goals, the project will implement the following approaches.
1) By integrating existing reference European cohorts and registries, studies of genetic and environmental risk factors and progression of melanoma in CAYA will be performed through different omic methods, and a novel taxonomy of CAYA melanoma will be generated. 2) MELCAYA will develop image-based robust and trustworthy machine learning tools and a pan-European second-opinion platform for better diagnosis specifically designed for CAYA. 3) Moreover, the validation of minimally and non-invasive disruptive tools based on artificial intelligence and volatilomics detection from exhaled breath and skin will lead to earlier detection and more accurate prognosis of melanoma in CAYA. 4) Finally, through the evidence gathered, MELCAYA will design and implement public health strategies and will actively involve patients and the general population. The results of MELCAYA will maximize its impact by making its data and results accessible and re-usable through integration into UNCAN.eu.
Motivation for the meeting
How can we take project findings and learnings forward in an impactful way?
Find out more
navigation shorts
program
version 24th September 2026
Friday, 27th November 2026
Arrival during the morning
Registration and light lunch from 12.30
14.00
Welcome to the final MELCAYA workshop and setting the scene
WP9 The context of the MELCAYA project from the patient perspective
Violeta Astratinei, AMER president and MELCAYA project partner
Melanoma- access to diagnosis and treatment
14.15- 15.30
WP3 Histological, computational and molecular pathology for improved
Diagnosis
Objectives
WP4 Retrospective analysis of the activity and efficacy of anti PD-1
antibodies in childhood, adolescent and young adult melanoma
Objectives
(1) to retrieve, in the early stage and metastatic disease, data on the activity and efficacy of anti PD1 antibodies administered to childhood, adolescent and young adult melanoma patients in the context of academic European centers, (2) to evaluate acute and long-term toxicity of anti PD-1 antibodies in adolescent, childhood and young adult with early and advanced melanomas, (3) to investigate in childhood, adolescent and young adult melanoma population, the impact of anti PD-1 antibodies on fertility, (4) to evaluate the incidence of second cancers in CAYA with early and advanced melanomas treated with anti PD-1 therapy.
Discussion and recommendations on how to secure timely and equitable access to diagnosis and treatment for European CAYA patients with Melanoma
15.30-16.00 coffee
Melanoma- internal and external risk factors
16.00- 17.15
WP2 Understanding triggers and transitions from normal melanocytes to
nevus to melanoma
Objectives
(1) to identify the molecular profiles of all cellular states of progression from benign nevi to malignant melanoma in young patients with congenital predispositions, (2) to longitudinally characterize the cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from young L/GCMN and melanoma patients, (3) to improve early diagnosis, prevention and treatments for intermediate conditions such as large/giant congenital melanocytic nevi (L/GCMN) through evidence-based interpretation of personal risk from endogenous or exogenous sources, and (4) to test pre-clinical strategies to best model and thereby improve patient response.
WP1 Identification of risk factors, exposomics and genetic susceptibility
of melanoma in children, adolescents and young adults
Objectives:
(1) Identification of risk factors involved in the development of melanoma in CAYA, including patients with L/GCMN using registry data (2) Characterization of the exposome in CAYA with melanoma, including patients with L/GCMN (3) to enumerate molecular determinants of personal risk from endogenous or exogenous sources (4) to test pre-clinical strategies to best model and thereby improve patient response.
Topics
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Non-UV environmental factors in Melanoma
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Interaction of environmental and genetic factors
Discussion and starting to map modifiable Melanoma risk factors
17.15- 18.00
Invited speaker Cities Mission
Learn how cities are moving towards climate neutrality, reducing emissions and pollution.
19.00 Networking Dinner
Saturday, 28th November
Implementation pathways for early detection and diagnosis
9.00-10.30
WP5 Artificial intelligence-based imaging tools for early diagnosis and risk prediction
Objectives
To generate AI-based image analysis classifiers as melanoma risk prediction biomarkers and
diagnostic assistance tools for CAYA melanoma early detection. FCRB, UT, UNIFI will contribute the data that will be used to train and test the classifiers. Participating dermatologists and pathologists will contribute to data annotation and analyze the results of the XAI-based algorithms.
WP6 Use of minimally- and non-invasive technologies for early detection of metastasis and prognosis
Objectives:
1. To develop an AI-based solution for the quantitative prognosis of melanoma in CAYA.
a. To implement an interpretability module of the outputs of the model.
b. To create a new statistically coherent stratification and policy for melanoma in CAYA.
2. Design, produce, and test novel non-invasive sensing technologies: breath analyser and disposable wearable sensing patches for non-targeted analysis of melanoma via skins.
WP7 Health care system strategies implementation to inform policy and ethical dimension
Objectives:
(1) to develop guidance on the assessment of innovative technologies addressed to the prevention and diagnosis of melanoma in childhood, including advice on their transferability to EU health system under the current EU Health Technology Assessment Regulation, (2) to assess the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) on implementing preventive and diagnostic health care schemes for melanoma in childhood, (3) to design health care system strategies to inform policy decisions to be implemented in overcoming current gaps in EU markets on prevention and diagnosis of melanoma in childhood
10.30- 11.00 Coffee
11.30-12.15
Invited speakers from the regions
Understand the importance of the European regions, with particular focus on healthcare.
Discussion and recommendations, reflecting on the morning's sessions
12.30 Lunch
14.00- 15.00
Reflection from the MELCAYA project coordinator
Findings, learnings and exploitable results
Susana Puig
Concluding discussion
15.00- 15.30 Coffee
The way forward
The MELCAYA project was financed under the EU Cancer Mission. ECHoS is now the implementation project of the EU Cancer mission.
15.30- 18.00
ECHoS- short update from the EU cancer mission implementation
speaker tbc
Expeditions- finding novel ways to olds problems
'Exploring a new topic destination with a ‘crowd’ of diverse expertise, involving experts from outside the medical space who provide complementary expertise and novel perspectives for co-creation among equal partners, in a methodological creative problem-solving approach with divergent (‘fishing expedition’) and convergent (‘pathfinder expedition’) ideation phases.'
Gilly Spurrier and Bettina Ryll
Hands-on session- let's go on an expedition!
What would a Melanoma expedition look like?
19.00 Dinner
Sunday, 29th November
9.00- 12.30
Working Session
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CYNEFIN results review in detail (WP9)
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Formulate actions to take forward in patient advocacy and further policy work, based on the results from the previous days
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Possible follow-up initiatives and synergy projects, e.g. ECHoS
13.00 Light lunch and departure
Participation
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
This meeting is for European Melanoma patients and patient advocates who want to learn more about Melanoma in children, adolescents and young adults and about European projects.
HOW DO WE SELECT?
As always, participation is upon application only. First and foremost, we select based on motivation and the potential impact for Melanoma patients.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
Accepted participants will receive free registration and full-board accommodation for the 2 nights (Fri, Sat) of the meeting. Extra nights are at participants' own expenses and need to be arranged by the participants themselves.
Travel needs to be arranged for by participants themselves but will be reimbursed up to the maximum amount of 400€ for economy/ 2nd class travel after full attendance of the conference. We encourage you to take the train whenever possible but are fully aware that this isn't always an option.
Please look for the best deals and keep the original receipts of your bookings.
NOTE as the MELCAYA project is ending at the 30th November, reimbursement deadlines will be exceptionally tight this time. We thank you for your understanding.
No attendance, no receipt = no reimbursement.
Logistics
Accommodation and venue
Marivaux Hotel
Bd Adolphe Max 98
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Closest metro & tram station
Rogier
Closest train station
Brussel Noord
Closest airport
Brussels airport. From the lowest floor in arrivals, take a direct train into town.