The goal of the "Partners of Experience in Cancer" (PECan) program is to foster a culture of mutual understanding and collaboration between cancer patients and the scientific community, also including formal and/or informal caregivers, healthcare professionals, and medical students. This program is led by The Laboratory of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (A.U.Th.) in cooperation with Hellenic Cancer Federation, it ushers in a new era in participatory research, where patients will not only play an active role in research efforts but will also envision and establish the first Dynamic Laboratory (Living Lab). This Laboratory will be self-governed by citizens and will encourage research, open science, and open innovation initiatives in the field of cancer.

The vision of the PECan project is to help stakeholders bridge any gaps regarding patient involvement in research by creating a common foundation of procedures and research steps in which both sides can collaborate, produce, and publish the results of their efforts. Additionally, the project aims to translate all research activities into a shared language for both researchers and patients, minimizing any established stereotypes related to patient participation in individual phases of research as a sample of the population being studied, and eliminating any perception of a gap between research and the needs of the real world.