PRESSRELEASE

WORLD CANCER DAY 2018

IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION IN CANCER RESEARCH

TheAssociationofEuropeanCancerLeagues(ECL), Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and theEuropean Society for Paediatric Oncology(SIOPEEurope,orSIOPE)arecomingtogetherto markWorld Cancer Day on 4 February2018.

Cancer is an acceleratingglobal disease, andwemust join forces to advance researchandimprove patient outcomes across theEuropean Union (EU) and beyond. In 2014,canceraccountedfor26.4%ofalldeathsintheEU-28.

ThisWorldCancerDay,ECL,CancerResearchUKandSIOPEarehighlightingtheimportanceof collaboration in cancer research. Cancerknowsnoborders,andresearchistakingplaceacross the EU, improving survival and givingpeople more time. We need to continue toensure that EU policies and the regulatoryenvironment support international medicalcollaboration.

There is still a lot to be done to beat cancerand we are determined to ensure patientaccess to innovation by continuousengagement in research and collaborationwith decision-makers, patients, healthcareprofessionals, researchers and others to fighttheincreasingcancerburden.

“Internationalcollaborationisthebackboneofresearch.CancerResearchUKdirectlyfundsnearly200clinicaltrials,and28%oftheseinvolveatleastoneotherEUcountry.OnWorldCancerDay,wewanttoraiseawarenessandcelebratetheimportance

ofcollaborationtobeatcancersoonerforpatientsacrossEuropeandbeyond.”

SarahWoolnough,ExecutiveDirectorofPolicyandInformationCRUK

“Wemustconsiderresearchasthekeysourcefornewsolutionsoncancerpreventionandtreatment.Furthermore,comprehensiveengagementofthecommunityontheneedofcollaborationincancerresearchandstrengtheningtheroleof

itsrepresentativeorganizationssuchasECLisamust.”

RuiMedeiros,ECLExecutiveBoardmember

1February2018

.“Collaborationisparticularlyimportantforresearchintorarecancers,wherepopulationsaresmallinindividualmember

states,includingallchildhoodcancersChildhoodcancersremaintheleadingcauseofchildren’sdeathbydiseaseinEuropeovertheageofoneandcontributestomorbidityinsurvivors.Urgentlyneededprogresscanonlybeachievedthroughcontinuedmulti-stakeholdercooperation.SIOPEcountsonallactorstojoinusin

furthereffortstowardsboostingtherapeuticinnovationforchildrenandadolescentswithcancer.”

Prof.MartinSchrappe,SIOPEPresident2018©AssociationofEuropeanCancerLeagues