Organization

Unicancer brings together more than 25,500 men and women dedicated to a single objective, that all cancer patients may have the same chances of recovery and that they may benefit from the most effective treatments, at the cutting edge of innovation, proposed by the French comprehensive cancer centres (Fccs).

Unicancer: one name, one goal

Associated with their own name or co-branded, the Unicancer “brand” enables all the Centres in its network to benefit from immediate recognition on the national and international scene.

The Federation of French comprehensive cancer centres (Fccs)

As the only hospital federation dedicated to oncology in France, the mission of Unicancer consists in representing and defending the interests of its members. As an employers’ organisation, Unicancer also manages their National Collective Agreement.

Legally, Unicancer is both a hospital federation and a health cooperation group (groupement de coopération sanitaire – GCS), managed by the federation. To simplify its organization, the president and general delegate of the federation occupy the same positions within the Unicancer GCS

• The GCS brings together all French comprehensive cancer centres (Fccs), one affiliated member and the federation.
• The Unicancer Federation of Fcccs holds 26% of the shares of the GCS and each Fccc hold shares proportional to its size.

The health cooperation group

French comprehensive cancer centres (Fccs) pool certain activities, particularly in the areas of research, hospital strategy, purchasing, human resources, quality and information systems.

The health cooperation group (groupement de coopération sanitaire – GCS) allows this mutualisation, with the aim of improving skills, means and practices. The GCS brings together the Fcccs, the affiliated member and the Unicancer federation; it is managed by the federation. As a cooperation structure with legal status, the GCS is non-profit and can accept funding for its research activities, as part of MERRI (“missions d’enseignement, de recherche, de référence et d’innovation”, teaching, research, referencing and innovation missions), the PHRC (“programme hospitalier de recherche clinique”, hospital clinical research programme) and STIC (“soutien aux techniques innovantes et coûteuses”, support for innovative and costly techniques).

The GCS Unicancer has expanded to include Sainte-Catherine – Institut du Cancer Avignon-Provence in May 2021, and the Institut du Cancer de Polynésie Française – ICPF in 2022, alongside the 18 CLCCs.

“We wish to expand the health cooperation group to other structures sharing an excellent level of oncology and a common culture, in order to bring its expertise, its capacity for mutualisation and its strength to other actors such as Sainte-Catherine”

Prof. Jean-Yves Blay, Unicancer President

Academic sponsor of clinical trials

As leading academic sponsor of clinical trials in oncology on a European scale, Unicancer is also a major contributor to research. In particular, our R&D departments develop clinical, translational and health data research in oncology in order to improve cancer treatments and patient care.