The proposal is to establish a new platform for translational research interlinking European cancer centres, with joint databases, harmonized infrastructure, monitoring networks, and collaborative projects to provide the essential infrastructure that will facilitate rapid advances in knowledge and its translation into better cancer care. A general discussion in this context, that may lead to adoption of a draft document requesting creation of a platform, is the subject of the planned meeting.

Although critical progress in understanding of biology of cancer is made daily, advances that improve lives and extend survival are much slower, and laboratory findings take years, if not decades, to be translated into improved outcomes for patients. This is largely due to the fragmented research process in Europe. A better coordination at the European level, implying organization, communication, and cooperation among scientists, clinicians, funding bodies, politicians, and patients, is essential to translate better understanding of cancer into better outcomes quickly. On the other hand, modern discovery-driven translational cancer research necessitates massive agglomerations of patients, biobank data, laboratory capacity, treatment facilities, and access to new, standardized technologies, which require a critical mass that no single cancer institution or even country has.

Its intention is three-fold:

• To establish a forum where all stakeholders can interact.
• To discuss the characteristics and practicalities of a comprehensive platform of European cancer research centres.
• To create a link with the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), the European body whose role is to support a coherent approach to policy-making on research infrastructures in Europe, and to act as an incubator for international negotiations about concrete initiatives.

The meeting is expected to bring together representatives from academic, industrial, patients’ and international organizations involved in policy-making.

Related links:
::  Programme [.pdf]
::  European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI)
::  UNESCO Capacity-building in the Basic sciences More
::  International Basic Sciences Programme (IBSP)
::  Sciences et santé (only in French)