Turning the Stockholm Declaration into reality: Creating a world-class infrastructure for cancer research in Europe

Outlined in a document labelled The Stockholm Declaration (Ringborg, 2008 Ulrik Ringborg, The Stockholm Declaration, Molecular Oncology2 (2008), pp. 10-11. Article | PDF (103 K) | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (0)Ringborg, Molecular Oncology2 (2008), pp. 10-11), European cancer leaders proposed an innovative platform for translational research in Europe to link large comprehensive cancer centres (CCCs) and basic/preclinical cancer centres across the continent in a network to produce the critical mass necessary to deal with increasingly complex biological and clinical questions and harmonise methods, infrastructure, and regulations to make cross-border investigation less burdensome.

A recent meeting held in Paris, sponsored by the Danish Cancer Society, the Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE) and UNESCO, marked the first step in moving the Stockholm Declaration into reality. The location, at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris, had a historical significance for the group of cancer leaders and interested politicians gathered. It was in the UNESCO building in Paris that, 5 years ago, discussions on the now-established European Research Council (ERC) began to take form. That landmark change to the way European science is funded has since become a beacon of hope for Europe's scientists: in contrast to the pervasive disillusionment many felt with the existing structures, increasingly bureaucratic and subject to political whims, the establishment of this independent agency shows that things scientists want can be achieved.

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Molecular Oncology board member and author wins Norwegian Award for Excellent Research

Anne-Lise Børresen-Dale received on Tuesday September 23rd the annual prize for excellent research from the Research Council of Norway. The award - amounting to 500.000 NOK - was handed over by Tora Aasland - Minister of Education and Research.

According to the jury:

"Anne-Lise Børresen-Dale ranks among the foremost experts in the country in the field of cancer research, having an extra focus on genetic influence.

She has been a major force in building competence within molecular biology and gene technology in Norway. Throughout a period of many years she has conducted ground-breaking research of excellent quality in a number of fields within her subject area.

Børresen-Dale has a large scientific production of the highest standard. Her work covers broad fields of cancer research. She has made decisive discoveries in research on lung cancer, testicular cancer, colon cancer and - in particular - breast cancer.

Børresen-Dale has demonstrated outstanding skills as a builder of scientific milieus. She is involved in a large number of collaboration projects, both nationally and internationally. In 2008 she was elected president in the European Association for Cancer Research (www.EACR.org). Her research will gain a major clinical significance within diagnostics, therapy and cancer diseases."

Further information: Anne-Lise Børresen-Dale research group home page - Molecular Biology of Breast Cancer.

The Stockholm declaration signals a cultural change in Europe's approach to cancer research.

An interview with Ulrik Ringborg

Prof. Ulrik Ringborg is Director of Cancer Center Karolinska, President of the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI), and one of the original signatories of the Stockholm Declaration.

"The central premise of the Stockholm Declaration is that those with responsibility for the total structure of cancer research - the people running the Europe's large comprehensive cancer centres - are the ones that should have the patient as the focus of their work. So, linking centres within a formal collaboration, as the Declaration suggests, should also put the patient's perspective at the centre of broad cancer research efforts, while enabling us, as a community, to reach the necessary critical research mass to make innovative advances in treatments and care."

Read the full interview with Ulrik Ringborg in Molecular Oncology - see http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molonc.2008.03.008