CHOICE

CHOICE – Comprehensive Health Options and Information for Cancer Education

The CHOICE project (Comprehensive Health Options and Information for Cancer Education) addresses the critical health risks of breast cancer for women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, who face a lifetime risk of up to 72%. Despite the availability of preventive measures such as enhanced screening or risk-reducing surgeries, uptake remains low due to misconceptions, emotional distress, and limited health literacy. CHOICE seeks to overcome these barriers by empowering women to make informed health decisions while also equipping healthcare professionals with improved communication and decision-support tools.

Through a consortium of leading institutions in Portugal, Czechia, and Greece, the project integrates expertise in cancer prevention, digital health, artificial intelligence, and patient education. A multi-method approach will combine surveys, interviews, and the analysis of more than five million online interactions to identify gaps in knowledge and barriers to informed decision-making. Based on these insights, the project will design multilingual educational materials, develop a health literacy dictionary with over two thousand terms, and establish a virtual library that is culturally sensitive and adapted to different literacy levels.

CHOICE also focuses on strengthening healthcare professionals’ ability to support BRCA carriers. Virtual patients and decision-support tools powered by artificial intelligence will provide innovative training formats to enhance the communication of complex genetic information. These tools will be tested and implemented in clinical settings, ensuring that healthcare providers are better prepared to engage patients in preventive and treatment decisions.

At the policy and system level, CHOICE will introduce an API and health literacy algorithm designed to integrate into existing healthcare platforms. These tools will generate real-time insights into patient needs and behaviours, enabling evidence-based adjustments to communication strategies and interventions. The project will also foster public engagement and awareness through the establishment of National Cancer Literacy Days in Portugal, Czechia, and Greece, along with campaigns and community activities that support patients and their families. In doing so, the project directly supports the objectives of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, delivering outcomes that can be adapted across Europe.