Dublin’s Farmleigh House is host to the inaugural Joint Euro-American Forum on Cancer today and tomorrow. This high level summit of world leading cancer experts will explore greater cooperation between Europe and the United States in tackling the scourge of cancer.
The Forum brings together in one room globally recognised clinical, academic, and patient advocate leaders and key relevant policy makers and political figures, who will shape and accelerate a transatlantic cancer beating agenda. The event represents an unrivalled opportunity for Europe and America to join forces against the common challenge – cancer - with a focus on lung cancer and cancer inequalities along with other important topics.
The Forum is jointly hosted by the Irish Government’s Department of Health, the AIl-Island Cancer Research Institute (AICRI) and the National Cancer Control Programme, in collaboration with world renowned cancer organisations from the US and Europe, including the European Cancer Organisation, the US National Cancer Institute, the American Society for Clinical Oncology and the European School of Oncology.
Over the last three years, AICRI has inclusively brought together cancer researchers from across 10 academic institutions across the island of Ireland, together with other key stakeholders, to develop an overarching framework for cancer research, so as to maximally ensure optimal health outcomes and wider societal benefit.
The event will highlight the vast benefits of the hugely successful 25 year ‘Ireland – Northern Ireland – US National Cancer Institute Cancer Consortium’, a cooperative partnership between cancer experts on the island of Ireland and their American counterparts. It will also highlight the European Cancer Manifesto ‘Time to Accelerate: Together Against Cancer’, a vital set of recommendations given that European elections are just around the corner and the future of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EU Cancer Mission is uncertain.
Speaking in advance of the event, Stephen Donnelly TD, the Minister for Health said: “I welcome this opportunity to further strengthen Transatlantic and North-South cooperation on cancer research. The transformative effect of research on treatment for cancer patients is recognised by our National Cancer Strategy, and will continue to be supported by the Irish Government through the Health Research Board and the Cancer Consortium.”
Professor William Gallagher, Professor of Cancer Biology at UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Sciences, UCD Conway Institute Fellow and co-lead of AICRI said: “The hugely successful collaboration between cancer experts on the island of Ireland and the USA over the last 25 years is rightly being held up as a model to promote future European/American cancer cooperation. With its hugely valuable experience of effective cross-border cancer collaboration, the island of Ireland can act as a bridge between Europe and the United States. Cancer knows no borders so neither should we. Cancer researchers and other stakeholders working together irrespective of national borders has been the driving force of AICRI’s work. This principle has underscored the work of Ciaran Briscoe and the broader AICRI team in bringing this remarkable Forum to Farmleigh.”
Professor Mark Lawler of Queens University Belfast and co-lead of AICRI said: “The cancer intelligence we have collected and analysed from the last 25 years of the Consortium are impressive – over 35,000 patients on the island of Ireland participating in clinical trials, saving thousands of lives and improving the quality of life of many thousands more. Our island has experienced a 10-15% improvement in cancer survival and there has been a 550% increase in the quality of collaborative cancer research across the three jurisdictions. These data speak for themselves and show why the Consortium is considered an international exemplar of transatlantic cooperation. We need to compete, not against each other but against our common enemy – cancer.”
Professor Risteárd Ó’Laoide, National Director of the National Cancer Control Programme said: “The National Cancer Control Programme is committed to ensuring that the knowledge gained through research is translated into enhanced cancer control activities in Ireland. The collaboration of the organisations involved in today’s event can only help to strengthen that goal. I welcome the particular focus of the event on lung cancer and cancer inequalities, which will serve to further support efforts underway in line with the National Cancer Strategy to address these key concerns for cancer control in Ireland. The NCCP is also pleased to be partnering with the All-Island Cancer Research Institute on the EU-funded ECHoS project, to develop a National Cancer Mission Hub in Ireland, in collaboration with our EU partners.”
Kathy Oliver, Co-Chair of the European Cancer Organisation (ECO) Patient Advisory Committee, added: “We need to be bold and resolute. We need to break down the silos of geographic boundaries and pool our resources to develop international strategies which will promote innovative approaches to research, treatment, and support of cancer patients and their families. On behalf of ECO’s Patient Advisory Committee, I know that enhancing cancer outcomes is a shared priority of healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers on both sides of the Atlantic. Alignment to achieve this goal is what we will focus on in Dublin as we advance a transatlantic cancer beating agenda.”