DISARM

Disarming the silent threat of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC), a malignant tumour in one or both ovaries, is the most lethal of female gynecologic cancers in Europe. Often referred to as a “silent killer,” OC is typically diagnosed at an advanced stage due to its subtle, non-specific symptoms, and the lack of effective screening, underscoring the urgent need for improved early detection strategies. As one of the most heritable forms of cancer, with a significant proportion of cases linked to family history and genetic predisposition, OC also highlights the critical importance of multifactorial risk assessment tools to accurately identify high-risk individuals and enable targeted prevention.
The DISARM project addresses these critical challenges of hereditary OC by advancing both multifactorial risk assessment and early detection through cutting-edge technologies. By integrating innovative diagnostic tools, AI-driven analytics, and citizen-centered digital platforms, DISARM aims to transform how OC risk is assessed and detected across Europe. The project is structured around four key pillars: 1) Pillar A focuses on multifactorial OC risk assessment in routine healthcare, investigating multifactorial risk assessment versus standard practices in 4 EU MS (Lithuania, Portugal, Czech Republic, Greece); 2) Pillar B targets early detection of OC and encompasses a set of easy-to-use, highly accurate and affordable technologies to be upscaled and validated in 5 countries (UK, Lithuania, Portugal, Czech Republic, Greece); 3) Pillar C comprises several intelligent digital assets that can optimally support and enhance risk assessment (pillar A) and early detection (pillar B) in routine healthcare; 4) Pillar D involves all activities designed for ensuring the uptake and adoption of DISARM solutions in routine healthcare.

In summary, the DISARM project offers a multidimensional approach to tackling hereditary OC across Europe. By combining personalized risk assessment, innovative early detection methods, and AI-driven digital tools, it sets a new standard for prevention and diagnosis. With a coordinated effort involving 26 partners from 12 countries (10 EU MS, the UK and Canada), and a strong emphasis on citizen engagement and sustainability, DISARM is shaping a future of more equitable, effective, and informed OC care.

M4D has a critical role in the project by contributing to the AI Explainability and Federated AI in both AI-driven tools for risk stratification and early detection. It is also responsible for the federated AI components of a Privacy-preserving Integrated Platform, which unifies DISARM’s digital assets and enables secure and compliant analysis of sensitive health data. Moreover, M4D leads the development of a virtual catalogue that offers structured, harmonised metadata to improve data findability and support FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).