Dr Stuart Griffiths, director of research, policy and impact at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said gypsy communities had “not been well-served by research and services.”
The project aimed to develop tools and support systems to help the communities engage with healthcare in a way that works for them, he said.
York Travellers Trust, Leeds GATE and Care for Young People’s Future are amongst the partners participating in the project.
Ms Cannon said she hoped the survey results would allow them to gain “a rich understanding of what’s happening on the ground”.
“Only then can we start unpicking that and find active solutions for people to get early diagnosis, better treatment and take the word cancer from a death sentence to just another illness,” she added.
“This is about a fresh slate – this is what we know, this is how bad it is, and this is how we make it better.
“It’s about coming together – Gypsy, Roma and traveller people, healthcare professionals and partners – and being collaborative.”