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Inaugural Euro-American Forum on Cancer to take place in Farmleigh House
Promoting greater cooperation between the US and Europe in tackling cancer will be the focus of a major international conference taking place in Dublin this week.
Leading figures in oncology research and policy on both sides of the Atlantic will meet in Farmleigh House this Thursday and Friday for the inaugural Joint Euro-American Forum on Cancer.
Among the experts taking part in the conference are the presidents of the European Cancer Organisation and American Society for Clinical Oncology, Prof Csaba Dégi and Dr Lynn Schuchter.
Scientific director of the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) Dr Stephen Chanock will be presented an award for his support for the Ireland-Northern Ireland-US NCI Cancer Consortium. The alliance aims to reduce cancer incidence and mortality on the island of Ireland through cross-border and transatlantic collaborations in cancer research and education.
The forum will be launched by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly – with Tánaiste, Micheal Martin, being acknowledged with an award for his work in introducing the world’s first national workplace smoking ban 20 years ago.
The importance of north-south cancer cooperation on the island of Ireland will also be highlighted. Cancer Focus Northern Ireland CEO Richard Spratt and Health Research Board chief executive Dr Mairead O’Driscoll will contribute to a session entitled ‘The island of Ireland as a nexus for cancer co-operation’.
Former chief medical officer Prof Tony Holohan will co-chair a discussion on ‘Recognising Euro-US-Ireland leadership in cancer control’ with president of the Irish Association for Cancer Research Prof Tracy Robson.
During this session, Prof Mark Lawler of Queens University Belfast and Prof Deirdre Heenan of Ulster University will launch ‘Cancer Knows No Borders – an all-island blueprint for cancer research and care’.
A discussion on how to accelerate improvements in lung cancer outcomes will feature contributions from European Society of Oncology CEO Dr Alberto Costa, Prof Samaržija Miroslav, of the University of Zagreb in Croatia, Prof Jarushka Naidoo of Beaumont Hospital and Torsten Blum, co-chair of the prevention, early detection and screening network at the European Cancer Organisation.
The forum comes one month after members of the Irish All-Island Cancer Research Institute (AICRI) met with members of the US Congress to highlight the Ireland-Northern Ireland-US NCI Cancer Consortium.
Since its establishment 25 years ago, more than 35,000 patients on the island of Ireland have participated in clinical trial, while almost 500 doctors, nurses, and scientists from these shores have trained at the US National Cancer Institute.
Ahead of the event, AICRI co-lead Prof William Gallagher said that the organisation will work to deepen international cooperation.
“Our journey to develop AICRI has heavily benefited from prolonged US-Ireland collaboration in cancer research over decades. Indeed, with over half of the leading oncologists on our island having trained in the top 10 cancer centres in the US, the linkages between our countries in fundamental, translational and clinical research are exceptionally strong,” he said.