Introduction

The European Academy of Cancer Sciences is an independent advisory body of eminent oncologists and cancer researchers, placing science at the core of policies to sustainably reduce the death and suffering caused by cancer in Europe.

Welcome to the website of the newly-created European Academy of Cancer Sciences.

The European Academy of Cancer Sciences strives for excellence, independence, leadership, diversity and flexibility.

The Academy is a ‘virtual’ body, grouping together representatives with outstanding scientific and academic backgrounds from all cancer disciplines to provide knowledgeable and unbiased advice on matters of policy and priorities at the national, European and global level.

Throughout its work, the Academy will provide independent, authoritative and evidence-based advice to underpin policy for the prevention, the management and the palliation of cancer in Europe.

Requests to the Academy for information and advice are expected to come from many quarters - patient organisations and healthcare professionals, as well as policy-makers and politicians.

For each query related to oncology put forward to the Academy, and in order to involve Academy fellows, a taskforce amongst Academy fellows will be created which will reflect the expertise required to respond efficiently and comprehensively.

At the outset, the Academy will:

• put its collective knowledge and experience together to prepare a strategy paper on how to boost cancer research in Europe;
• look at barriers to research and how these can be addressed,
• propose priorities for oncopolicy, ideally by the end of 2010.

In doing so, the Academy will contribute to the relaunch of the European Research Area (ERA), the EU’s Joint Programming initiative, and to address the societal challenge that cancer is posing in Europe at large.