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CADARN

Background

High-quality cancer research is critical to improving patient outcomes. However, research delivery across Wales is often fragmented. Patients experience uneven access to clinical trials across the country, and logistical barriers and infrastructure can slow down study set-up and recruitment. 

Developed by Moondance Cancer Initiative, CADARN - Collaborative Action for Driving and Accelerating Research Nationally – is a system-level intervention designed to unlock the potential of cancer research across Wales. Inspired by the GRECCAR model in France, CADARN adapts this nationally coordinated approach to the Welsh context with a strong emphasis on feasibility, equity and relevance to patients and services. It aims to achieve faster recruitment, fairer access to studies, and research that improves care in the real world.

CADARN operates through tumour-site-focused rounds, bringing together clinicians, research and development teams, patients and national stakeholders from across Wales. Each CADARN round begins with a National Meeting, where shared priorities are agreed and clear decisions are made about what will be taken forward. During the meeting, delegates agree on one study from the NHS research portfolio to be taken forward for coordinated all-Wales delivery, and new research ideas are generated through an interdisciplinary sandpit. 

CEDAR's role

CEDAR is the delivery partner for CADARN, helping turn national collaboration into coordinated action. 

The first CADARN round focused on colorectal cancer, with the National Meeting taking place in November 2025. Since then, CEDAR’s programme team has been working to ensure the agreed outputs from that meeting move forward at pace. 

This includes: 

  • Providing coordinated national support to activate the selected study, - the BiCCC Trial (Brief Intervention with Cyclophosphamide in Patients with Colorectal Cancer Who Completed Treatment)-  across all Health Boards in Wales, supporting rapid site set-up  

  • Working with Health Boards to understand and address barriers to study set-up and recruitment.  

  • Supporting the development of new research ideas generated during the sandpit session, including scoping the evidence base, methods development, and facilitating collaborative study development groups to shape ideas into deliverable research proposals.  

Through this role, CEDAR is helping ensure that the outputs of the CADARN National Meeting are translated into coordinated delivery, shared learning, and tangible progress across Wales.