EACR News

EJCMO: Clinical Debate Series: Emerging Evidence in Treating Patients with Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL)

2012-04-26

with Drs Peter Hillmen, Stephan Stilgenbauer, William Wierda and Susan O'Brien

Patients with refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) have an unfavourable prognosis and continue to pose a daunting challenge for the haematologist. In particular, we are now seeing refractoriness not just with fludarabine but also fludarabine-combinations (e.g. cyclophosphomide, rituximab and alemtuzumab). But there are emerging treatment options for these patients beyond enrolling them in clinical trials. Drs Peter Hillman, Stephan Stilgenbauer, William Wierda and Susan O'Brien discuss and debate emerging evidence in treating patients with refractory CLL in a 4 part video series.

http://www.ejcmo.tv/clinical-debate-series-emerging-evidence-in-treating-patients-with-refractory-cll-introduction/

http://www.ejcmo.tv/clinical-evidence-for-safety-and-efficacy-of-ofatumuab-in-refractory-cll

http://www.ejcmo.tv/managing-adverse-events-associated-with-ofatumumab

http://www.ejcmo.tv/preventing-infusion-related-adverse-drug-reactions

Please visit the latest online EJCMO newsletter here for more debate, interviews and podcasts.

European Council for Health Research (EuCHR): Concept Paper produced

2012-04-26

EuCHR: Your Opinion Counts

Update: Concept Paper Update: Case Studies EuCHR Core Working Group

Dear EACR members,

Thank you for your feedback on the Concept Paper proposing the need for a European Council for Health Research (EuCHR).

We have attempted to incorporate your comments, along with those of the member societies of the BioMed Alliance, whilst also ensuring a balanced document. We have also not gone into comprehensive detail on the remit, governance and structural issues for strategic reasons, but rather created a paper justifying the need for bottom-up, strategic long-term planning across diseases, to ensure basic science discoveries promote better health for citizens in Europe.

The next steps will be to develop a suggested framework for how such a body could operate.

Sincerely Yours,

Julio E. Celis

European Council for Health Research (EuCHR) Concept Paper: Your Opinion Counts

2012-03-27

EuCHR: Your Opinion Counts

Draft Concept Paper Case Studies EuCHR Core Working Group

Dear Member of the EACR,

Since December 2011, the BioMed Alliance, an organisation set up to promote the best interests and values of research across all medical disciplines in Europe, has been focusing on advocating for a European Council for Health Research (EuCHR). A ‘Concept Paper’ has been drafted, outlining the need for a bottom-up, scientific-led platform to be created that can truly address Europe’s health challenges, framed within Horizon 2020, the next EU research framework programme (http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020/index_en.cfm).

The EuCHR will not affect the activities or level of funding of the ERC which supports frontier research.

Please click the links above to view the draft Concept Paper and scientific case studies, which aim to justify the need for more coordinated action across disciplines in Europe. We warmly encourage you to review the documents and provide any comments to me by e-mail (jec@cancer.dk) by April 13, 2012 at the latest.

The Governing Body will review all feedback before sending the final comments back to the BioMed Alliance.

Thanking you for your important contribution to this endeavour.

Kind regards,

Prof. Julio E. Celis

WCRF International Request for Application (RFA) Programme

2012-03-22

Netherlands RFA (NL RFA): 2012 Call

Deadline for submission: 18 April 2012

WCRF International and WCRF Netherlands announce a new funding opportunity: a Request For Application for 2012 based in the Netherlands (NL RFA).

WCRF Netherlands funds research into the effects of food, nutrition, physical activity, and body fatness on cancer, and we are inviting proposals for – specifically – research into the biological mechanisms underpinning any of the following observed associations:

Intake of dairy and calcium* and increased risk of prostate cancer, or decreased risk of colorectal cancer
Adult attained height and increased risk of colorectal, breast (pre- and postmenopausal), pancreatic, or ovarian cancers
Intake of processed meats and increased risk of colorectal cancer

*Please note that by intake of dairy and calcium we mean milk, milk products and diets high in calcium (including fortified foods and supplements).

The epidemiological evidence for the above links was deemed convincing or probable in the WCRF/AICR Second Expert Report, but the current evidence on the proposed biological pathways requires further clarification.

Eligibility
The Netherlands RFA is open to full time researchers or academics (the Principal Investigator, or PI) working at universities, medical schools, research institutes and other academic centres in the Netherlands. Applicants or co-applicants from commercial organisations are not eligible for funding.

Budget
The NL RFA will accept proposals up to a maximum of 350,000 Euros.

Duration
The RFA grant length is up to 4 years, with the possibility of extending the study up to one more year.

Language
The RFA will be in English, and applicants need to apply in English.

More information
For more information on the background, rationale and details of this NL RFA, please visit the WCRF International website [link to http://www.wcrf.org/cancer_research/rfa_programme/rfa_netherlands.php] or download the NL RFA document [link to http://www.wcrf.org/PDFs/WCRFInternationalNLRFA2012.pdf].

Seve Ballesteros Foundation Symposium on Brain Cancer: Pre-Congress Symposia EACR-22, Barcelona

2012-03-22

Severiano Ballesteros was one of the sporting world's greatest and one of golf's most prodigious talents. Known the world over as simply "Seve", the much-loved Spaniard became synonymous with flair, passion and magical shot-making from the moment he burst onto the international scene in 1976.

When he was diagnosed with a brain tumour, Ballesteros said: "Throughout my entire career I have been one of the best at overcoming obstacles on the golf course. And now I want to be the best, facing the most difficult game of my life."

This ambition can be applied to the driving force behind oncology professionals. We strive to be the best at what we do and seek to address the many unresolved questions in cancer in order to advance better, more effective therapeutic options for our patients today, delivering on the promise of personalised medicine for those in the future:

Symposium Synopsis
It is widely accepted that it is no longer enough for cancer researchers to debate and exchange among themselves, it´s all about unravelling, connecting and translating from the bench to the bedside ´in loop´. The latest advances in research must consequently continue to be more quickly applied at clinical level and back again within a multidisciplinary setting. The outcomes of such essential exchange must be harnessed, presented and discussed - the very reason behind this symposium.

The third edition of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation Symposium on Brain Cancer will reflect the essence of the 22nd Biennial Congress of the European Association of Cancer Research (EACR): EACR-22 - From Basic Research to Personalised Cancer Treatment, and in so doing, provide unparalleled opportunity to share and promote the advancement of brain cancer research, embracing a purely translational vision.

I will be joined by the following panel of internationally renowned speakers to provide participants with the avant-garde within the field from all research levels and perspectives:

Kenneth Aldape (USA)
Peter Dirks (USA)
Monika E. Hegi (Switzerland)
Eric Holland (USA)
Luis F. Parada (USA)
Joan Seoane (Spain)
Angelo Vescovi (Italy)

The Seve Ballestros Foundation pledges to be on course to beat brain cancer. As professionals in neuro-oncology we represent the field that will mark the many advances necessary to tackle this disease quite literally head-on, one patient at a time.

To help spur such efforts, I look forward to welcoming you to the Seve Ballesteros Foundation Symposium on Brain Cancer to collectively promote debate and information exchange of the highest degree.

Joan Seoane
Chair, EACR 22 Local Organising Committee

Please click here to view and download a copy of the current programme

About the Seve Ballesteros Foundation
Established in June 2009, the Seve Ballesteros Foundation is a private, non-profit organization that focuses its efforts primarily on the recruitment, funding and promotion of research on brain tumours including support for conferences, symposia and scientific meetings to encourage the exchange of knowledge in neurooncology.

www.seveballesterosfoundation.org

41st Léopold Griffuel Award - Nominations now open

2012-02-27

The ARC Léopold Griffuel Award is one of the most prestigious scientific prizes in the field of cancer research. This prize of €150, 000 honors an investigator or a research team whose work has led to a major breakthrough in cancer research.

The laureate is designated by the Board of Directors of the French Cancer Research Association after evaluation by an international scientific committee.

Complete information for the ARC Léopold Griffuel prize is available at:
www.recherche-cancer.net/espace-recherche/palg/english.html

A letter from ARC - Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (French Cancer Research Association) and an application form can be downloaded at here.

Application deadline: Friday March 30th 2012

Gender in Science: Please support action by signing the manifesto

2012-02-14

Gender in Science: Please support action by signing the manifesto

A manifesto has been produced by genSET, calling for integrated and coordinated action on the gender dimension in research and innovation. This Manifesto is the result of the public consultation that ran in conjunction with the 1st European Gender Summit.

The manifesto aims to address the failures of previous European Commission funding programmes to fully address gender issues, and supports specific requirements in the new HORIZON 2020 framework programme for addressing the gender dimension in science. Policy makers across Europe will be negotiating the proposed framework, leading to its approval by the EU Council and Parliament.

If you believe that gender balance and awareness of gender issues will be important in future research and innovation, please visit the manifesto and add your name to the list of signatories, and pass the link to colleagues.

View and sign the manifesto

More about HORIZON 2020

HORIZON 2020 is the new EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, aiming to simplify and combine several existing programmes of research and innovation funding. More information.

EJCMO.tv resources from ASH 2011 and the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS)

2012-02-01

EJCMO.tv were at ASH 2011 and the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) and we are featuring a mix of expert video and podcast interviews, panel debates and blogs. EACR Members can view and comment on podcasts and video debates and interviews of the events.

ASH 2011

Patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) can present with complex clinical scenarios and a variety of clinical features including indolent disease, standard disease, and disease with aggressive phenotypes. From ASH 2011 Drs Bruce Cheson, Mathias Rummel, Martin Dreyling and Gilles Salles discuss exciting developments in therapeutic options for patients with NHL in the first-line and relapsed/refractory settings.
What is the best first-line induction therapy for patients with indolent lymphoma?
What is the longer-term safety data for the BR regimen?
What is the role of R-maintenance, and does PET status affect this?
Will R-maintenance increase the R-resistance problem?
Is there a role for bortezomib in the management of indolent NHL?
What is the role of transplantation in the management of follicular lymphoma and what should we do when patients relapse?

San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS)

Podcasts:
Professor Robert Benezra, member of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in the Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Professor of Biology at Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. SABCS 2011: Tumor-Entrained Neutrophils Inhibit Breast Cancer Metastasis Seeding in the Lung
Dr Lisa Carey, Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Director, at UNC Breast Center, Lineberger Cancer Center, University of North Carolina. The Neoadjuvant Setting, HER2-driven and Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Dr Gupta, Associate Professor and Medical Oncologist at the Tata Memorial Hospital in India. Challenges in the design and implementation of breast cancer clinical trials in developing countries

Please visit the latest online EJCMO newsletter here for more debate, interviews and podcasts.

PRESS RELEASE: Springer launches interdisciplinary open access journal SpringerPlus

2012-01-13

PRESS RELEASE

Springer launches interdisciplinary open access journal SpringerPlus

Transparent and fast publication process for authors in a journal with guaranteed high scientific standards

Berlin / New York / London, 12 January 2012

Springer’s new open access journal SpringerPlus is a further addition to the publishing company’s SpringerOpen portfolio, underlining its flexible publication strategy. It is the publisher’s first open access journal with a broad interdisciplinary approach covering the entire scientific spectrum. Papers from emerging areas of research are welcome.

A transparent and fast publication process is the hallmark of SpringerPlus. If a manuscript meets the necessary scientific criteria as determined by peer review, the paper will be accepted immediately and without major revision. The only thing that counts is the high quality of research described. The peer review process is organized efficiently so that authors can count on a very short time to publication. SpringerPlus is published as an online-only journal.

SpringerPlus will feature interdisciplinary manuscripts describing original research, case studies and methods. The journal guarantees a high standard of scientific quality while extending the range of data formats, accepting audiovisual formats, data reports, and extensive tables either as complete articles or part of the paper. There will be no restrictions on the number of words or figures, and articles detailing statistically negative correlation will be considered.

“SpringerPlus follows an interdisciplinary approach that allows us to bridge the gap for all those authors unable to find an open access journal at the interface with adjoining disciplines for their research topic,” explained Peter Hendriks, President STM Global Publishing & Marketing at Springer.
Springer ensures distribution to the widest possible audience, maximizing visibility and citations. Like all other SpringerOpen journals, SpringerPlus will be published under the Creative Commons Attribution License. This means that authors retain copyright and all content is freely available in full to everyone immediately. Authors will be assessed a standard open access fee.

Springer began publishing individual open access papers through its Springer Open Choice model in 2004. Since then, the publishing group has refined and extended this publication model. In summer 2010, Springer launched a new open access portfolio which now contains more than 60 purely open access journals focusing on specific research areas. The interdisciplinary approach of SpringerPlus supplements this open access portfolio. Anyone with an internet connection can access the articles in these journals without a subscription.

More information at www.springerplus.com

Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) is a leading global scientific publisher, delivering quality content through innovative information products and services. The company is also a trusted provider of local-language professional publications in Europe, especially in Ger-many and the Netherlands. In the science, technology and medicine (STM) sector, the group publishes around 2,000 journals and more than 7,000 new books a year, as well as the largest STM eBook Collection worldwide. Springer has operations in about 20 countries in Europe, the USA, and Asia, and more than 5,500 employees. In 2010, it generated annual sales of around EUR 866 million.

Contact: Renate Bayaz, renate.bayaz@springer.com, +49-171-8668118

Launch of TRANSCAN First Joint Transnational Call for Proposals

2011-12-19

ERA-NET on Translational Cancer Research (TRANSCAN) funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme, has launched its first Joint Transnational Call for Proposals (JTC 2011) on the topic: "Validation of biomarkers for personalised cancer medicine".

The announcement for the JTC 2011, the core documents and key deadlines are available at http://www.transcanfp7.eu/transcan/mod/resource/view.php?id=66.

The following funding organisations in fifteen countries from the European Research Area have agreed to fund the joint call for multinational research projects in this area.

Austrian Science Fund (FWF), Austria
Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Belgium
National Cancer Institute (INCa), France
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
General Secretariat for Research and Technology, Ministry of Education, Life Long Learning and Religious Affairs (GSRT), Greece
Chief Scientist Office of the Ministry of Health (CSO-MOH), Israel
Ministry of Health (MoH), Italy
Latvian Academy of Science (LAS), Latvia
National Research Fund (FNR), Luxembourg
National Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR), Poland
Institute of Oncology (IOB), Romania
Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), Slovakia
Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MHEST), Slovenia
Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Spain
Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK), Turkey

The call will be conducted simultaneously by the funding organisations in their respective countries and coordinated centrally by the Joint Call Secretariat (JCS).

You can learn more about TRANSCAN through their website at http://www.transcanfp7.eu.

Cooperation and coordination in European cancer research: EACR views

2011-12-19

To all EACR Members,

We are contacting you on behalf of ECCO, the European CanCer Organisation as we would like the members of EACR to provide input to an important questionnaire that will pave the way for future coordination of cancer research in Europe. The questionnaire aims to elicit feedback from the oncology community on areas and infrastructures in which European coordination of research efforts is needed. The answers from this questionnaire will provide the foundations for the ECCO-led Work Package 8 of the European Partnership for Action Against Cancer (EPAAC), a 3-year project supported by the European Commission, aiming at tackling the growing burden of cancer in the EU.

To participate in the survey, please click here

EPAAC’s Work Package 8 (cooperation and coordination of cancer research), focuses on 3 specific objectives:

To identify and prioritise areas in cancer research that will benefit from coordination.
To develop a concerted approach for coordination of one third of research from all funding sources by 2013. (N.B. This will require the development of a coordination approach that ensures that national decisions are taken based on a joint EU-wide understanding in order to avoid duplication of efforts).
To implement pilot projects of research coordination in selected areas.

In order to gather the views of the oncology community regarding areas of cancer research and research infrastructures that may benefit from coordination at the European level, a questionnaire has been put together that contains some priority areas as well as infrastructures within the cancer continuum that were suggested by a select group of oncology stakeholders. We kindly ask you to indicate if you agree with the priorities listed within your field of expertise and specify other areas or infrastructures you think are missing, justifying them in terms of the added value that European coordination would bring.

The results of this questionnaire will be presented to major research funding bodies in Europe and subsequently pilot projects as well as plans for future trans-national cancer research projects will be defined in selected areas. Needless to say your contribution will be crucial for the development of effective cancer research coordination initiatives.

Please note that all answers will be treated in the strictest confidence.

We kindly ask you to fill in the questionnaire before 25th January 2012.

We are looking forward to receiving your input.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Julio Celis

On behalf of Work Package 8 Partners
For further information about the European Partnership for Action Against Cancer (EPAAC) please visit the website at http://www.epaac.eu/.

BACR/AstraZeneca Young Scientist Frank Rose Award: Dr Dimitry Pshezhetskiy

2011-12-16

Dr Dimitry Pshezhetskiy has been awarded the BACR/AstraZeneca Young Scientist Frank Rose Award at the recent 8th NCRI Cancer Conference in Liverpool.

You can view the winning oral paper at http://www.ncri.org.uk/ncriconference/2011abstracts/abstracts/PP23.html. Further details of the NCRI conference are available able through the conference website at http://www.ncri.org.uk/ncriconference/.

Incoming BACR Chairperson Prof. Caroline Dive presenting Dr Dimitry Pshezhetskiy with the BACR/AstraZeneca Young Scientist Frank Rose Award.

To find out how to apply for BACR awards and become a member visit the website at http://www.bacr.org.uk/. The 8th NCRI Cancer Conference will take place 4-7 November 2012 at the BT Convention Centre, Liverpool, UK.

Calls for a European Council for Health Research, 01 December 2011

2011-12-16

ECCO – the European CanCer Organisation, of which EACR is a founding member – has joined forces with 16 leading European biomedical research societies representing approximately 200,000 researchers in calling for the establishment of a ‘European Council for Health Research’ at the Alliance for Biomedical Research in Europe General Assembly in Brussels.

The Alliance for Biomedical Research in Europe, or BioMed Alliance, is a unique initiative representing leading research-oriented medical societies. At its General Assembly in December 2011 BioMed Alliance has called for a long-term commitment in Europe to success and innovation in health research in the form of a centralised, European-wide strategic plan.

EACR’s President, Professor Julio E. Celis, who is also ECCO Policy Committee Chair and Vice-President of the BioMed Alliance, underlined the importance of a structure that goes beyond current research networks: “A European initiative that centralises and coordinates biomedical and clinical research can provide significant added value by addressing the current fragmented research landscape in Europe and help to accelerate the translation of discoveries into applications that impact healthcare delivery”.

The BioMed Alliance recognises that health research in Europe is fragmented. With the rising number of elderly people and the mounting demand for high-quality health services and personalised medicine, more strategic and multidisciplinary research is required to understand why and how to deal with these challenges.

The President of ECCO, Professor Michael Baumann, believes that all aspects of oncology research, from basic through to clinical, can greatly benefit from a consolidated and interconnected research platform: “It is impossible for a single centre or network to master the enormous health challenges facing our citizens, as well as compete internationally in the rapidly expanding biomedical field. ECCO warmly supports the concept of a European-wide strategic plan for oncology research.”

This call for action by the biomedical and clinical community comes at a time when EU and national policymakers are identifying how to accelerate EU research and innovation through the ‘Horizon 2020’ initiative, despite the increasing economic difficulties facing Member States. The next step for ECCO and its Alliance partners will be to establish consensus with all stakeholders on how a ‘European Council for Health Research’ can be structured to optimise healthcare delivery across Europe and reap real health and economic benefits.

More details:

The European CanCer Organisation (ECCO) exists to uphold the right of all European cancer patients to the best possible treatment and care and promote interaction between all organisations involved in cancer research, education, treatment and care at European level. Providing the unifying voice of European Societies representing professionals in oncology, ECCO proactively engages with policymakers in driving oncopolicy in Europe.
(www.ecco-org.eu)

The Alliance for Biomedical Research in Europe (BioMed Alliance) is a unique initiative representing leading research-oriented medical societies that include more than 200.000 researchers across Europe. The BioMed Alliance has as a mission to advance and strengthen biomedical research, in particular translational research, which is crucial for innovation.
(http://www.biomedeurope.org/)

EJC Launches iPad App

2011-11-30

We are delighted to announce that the EJC, your multidisciplinary oncology journal, is available on the iPad with free access to content! Starting in September 2011 with volume 47, issue 13, the EJC App gives our readers access to all 18 issues of the journal, direct to your iPad.

Download your issues of the EJC wirelessly and then have them available to read either online or offline. Customize the journal by selecting articles, tables, or figures to store and use later, as well as making notes on articles.

Download the EJC iPad App now to read the EJC anytime, anywhere!

EJC: Pick of the Papers – Seven Key Papers for our Readers to Download

2011-11-30

The EJC’s Editor-in-Chief, Lex Eggermont, has picked seven key papers that were published in the EJC in the fourth quarter of 2011. All seven papers are available for our Newsletter readers to download in full.

Phase 1 trials of molecular targeted therapies: Are we evaluating toxicities properly?
Pages 1443-1445
Jean-Charles Soria

Heterogeneity in the definition of dose-limiting toxicity in phase I cancer clinical trials of molecularly targeted agents: A review of the literature
Pages 1468-1475
Christophe Le Tourneau, Albiruni R.A. Razak, Hui K. Gan, Simona Pop, Véronique Diéras, Patricia Tresca, Xavier Paoletti

Hormone replacement therapy and women with premature menopause – A cancer survivorship issue
Pages 1623-1632
Judy King, Catherine Harper Wynne, Laura Assersohn, Alison Jones

Critical review of economic evaluations in multiple myeloma: An overview of the economic evidence and quality of the methodology
Pages 1458-1467
Jennifer G. Gaultney, W.K. Redekop, Pieter Sonneveld, Carin A. Uyl-de Groot

Phase III study of sorafenib after transarterial chemoembolisation in Japanese and Korean patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma
Pages 2117-2127
Masatoshi Kudo, Kazuho Imanaka, Nobuyuki Chida, Kohei Nakachi, Won-Young Tak, Tadatoshi Takayama, Jung-Hwan Yoon, Takeshi Hori, Hiromitsu Kumada, Norio Hayashi, Shuichi Kaneko, Hirohito Tsubouchi, Dong Jin Suh, Junji Furuse, Takuji Okusaka, Katsuaki Tanaka, Osamu Matsui, Michihiko Wada, Iku Yamaguchi, Toshio Ohya, et al.

Extended schedule, escalated dose temozolomide versus dacarbazine in stage IV melanoma: Final results of a randomised phase III study (EORTC 18032)
Pages 1476-1483
Poulam M. Patel, Stefan Suciu, Laurent Mortier, Wim H. Kruit, Caroline Robert, Dirk Schadendorf, Uwe Trefzer, Cornelis J.A. Punt, Reinhard Dummer, Neville Davidson, Juergen Becker, Robert Conry, John A. Thompson, Wen-Jen Hwu, Kristel Engelen, Sanjiv S. Agarwala, Ulrich Keilholz, Alexander M.M. Eggermont, Alain Spatz, on behalf of the EORTC Melanoma Group, et al.

New drugs in melanoma: It’s a whole new world
Pages 2150-2157
Alexander M.M. Eggermont, Caroline Robert

MedImmune Announces Winners of European Cancer Research Abstract Competition

2011-11-09

Cambridge, UK, 02 November 2011 –Today MedImmune announced the winners of its annual European Cancer Research Abstract Competition, which recognises outstanding research of aspiring scientists. Students and postdoctoral fellows from across Europe submitted abstracts describing their research in the field of tumour microenvironments to compete in the prestigious European competition sponsored by MedImmune, AstraZeneca’s global biologics arm.

Alexandra Avgustinova from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK was awarded first prize of £2,000 for her research entitled Characterisation of the Tumor-Fibroblast Cross-talk in a Mouse Model of Disease Progression. “For any young scientist, the opportunity to share scientific work is extremely rewarding. Beyond that, having my work acclaimed by a panel of experts is a great honour indeed,” commented Alexandra Avgustinova. “Receiving this award fuels my hope and desire to see my research in practical application in the future. I would like to thank The Institute of Cancer Research for enabling me to conduct this research and MedImmune for the recognition.”

From left to right: Metamia Ciampricotti, Alexandra Avgustinova and Holly Barker

Second and third prizes of £1,000 and £500 were awarded to Metamia Ciampricotti from The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Holly Barker from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK, respectively.

Congratulating the winners, Dr Thorsten Hagemann, Clinical Senior Lecturer, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, UK and one of the competition’s judges said, “It is extremely encouraging to see the quality of scientific work being produced by these young scientists. Initiatives such as this competition are an essential part of our fight against cancer – highlighting new research, helping us to discover fresh scientific talent and new therapeutic solutions to human disease. Alexandra’s research is cutting edge science which will have an immediate impact on cancer treatment”.

"MedImmune is committed to fostering the development of the next generation of leading scientists focused on improving human health. This competition provides us with the opportunity to highlight and reward the innovative work of talented scientists, which in the current economic climate we feel is especially important,” said Matthew McCourt, Director of Biology, Oncology at MedImmune. “We congratulate all ten finalists for being selected in this tough, competitive programme and feel privileged to be able to provide some recognition for their dedication."

The competition was open to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in Europe with ten finalists shortlisted to present their research to an expert panel of judges including Dr Thorsten Hagemann, Clinical Senior Lecturer, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, UK, Dr Christian Blank, Group Leader, Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands and a senior executive from both MedImmune and AstraZeneca. The focus of the competition – tumour microenvironments – reflects the research interests of MedImmune’s UK-based Oncology Department in Cambridge. The three winners were announced at the awards ceremony in Cambridge University’s prestigious Downing College following evaluation of their presentations on the basis of scientific merit, innovation and delivery.

About MedImmune
MedImmune, the global biologics arm of AstraZeneca plc. (LSE: AZN.L, NYSE: AZN) has approximately 3,500 employees worldwide and is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland. For more information, visit MedImmune's website at http://www.medimmune.com.

2nd EACR-OECI Joint Training Course 'Molecular Pathology approach to cancer'

2011-10-26

Through a collaboration between the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) and the organisation for European Cancer Institutes (OECI), we are organising a course on molecular pathology to be held in Amsterdam from 7th – 9th May 2012. The course will start on 7th May at noon, and end on the 9th May after lunch at 12.30 p.m.

The course focuses on the practical application of molecular tests in pathology and is aimed at practicing pathologists, residents in pathology, molecular biologists with interest in diagnostic pathology and young medical oncologists.

Genomic analyses of human cancers are leading to the identification of the genetic determinants of targeted therapies. Treatment decisions selecting therapies for cancer patients are no longer solely based on histopathological analyses of tumours. In fact, molecular tests are rapidly being incorporated into routine clinical practice. The role of pathologists in the implementation of molecular tests in diagnostic practice and the ability of pathology laboratories to perform these tests in an optimal manner are crucial for the successful translation of scientific advancements into useful biomarkers.

This course will provide an up-to-date review of current molecular biomarkers and the challenges for their assessment and interpretation in the context of different cancer types. Conceptual and practical advancements in the development of novel biomarkers for cancer patients will also be discussed.

The topics that will be covered in the course include:

Current methods for assessment of molecular biomarkers
Next generation sequencing
BRAF and KIT as biomarkers in melanoma
KIT and novel targets in gastrointestinal stromal tumours
Gene signatures in breast cancer
Genetic testing in colorectal and lung cancers
Translocations in sarcomas and haematological malignancies
How to deliver molecular tests for clinical decision-making
Novel findings in ovarian, endometrial and kidney cancers
CME Accreditation (ACOE) has been applied for.

We hope that you will be able to join us and contribute to this innovative course.

Richard Marais, Jorge Reis-Filho, Marc van de Vijver

Scientific organising committee

Click to visit the dedicated meeting website

The Pezcoller Foundation – EACR Cancer Researcher Award (lecture)

2011-10-24

‘Celebrating academic excellence and achievements in the field of cancer research’

Call for Nominations for ‘A researcher of excellence’

Nominees will be Cancer Researchers from European countries* with no more than 15 years post doctoral experience and a record of employment in Europe of at least five years.

The winner will give the prestigious Pezcoller Foundation – EACR Award Lecture at EACR-22 and receive a prize of 10,000 EUR.

The award will be presented for the first time at EACR-22 and at future EACR biennial congresses.

Nominations are invited from scientists who are involved in cancer research or have been affiliated with any institution, cancer medicine or cancer-related biomedical science. Self nominations cannot be accepted.

*Country of present employment

Deadline for receipt of applications: December 31st 2011

Further information and nomination form is available by clicking here

Cancer Research UK's Research Travel Award: Deadline 30th November

2011-10-18

Cancer Research UK’s Research Travel Award

There is an exciting opportunity for any ambitious Cancer Research UK-funded postdoctoral researcher to apply for support to visit a world-leading research group elsewhere in the UK or overseas.

The award is ideal for any promising postdoc who wants a chance to enhance their own research skills, to introduce new techniques to their current research group, and to develop lasting collaborations.

Funding of up to £6,000 is available for visits of between two weeks and three months. Support is provided for travel, accommodation and research expenses. It may be possible to support group leaders who wish to travel or who wish to host a visiting researcher. We may also be able to support other Cancer Research UK-funded research staff or attendance on certain skills-based training courses.

Applicants must be fully funded by Cancer Research UK. The award does not provide support for salary costs, conference attendance or lecture tours, visits by PhD students or graduate Clinical Fellows, or visits within the same city/town as the applicant’s current group.

You can find more information and details of how to apply on Cancer Research UK’s website:

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/research-travel-award

Please contact: Dr Matthew Kaiser – matthew.kaiser@cancer.org.uk; 020 3469 5337

The next deadline for applications is 30th November 2011.

On the Horizon: Europe's next round of science funding, Molecular Oncology XXX (2011_ 1-4)

2011-10-05

EACR Members may be interested to read the article below disseminated through ECCO - the European CanCer Organisation.

Dear ECCO Member Societies,

On behalf of ECCO President, Prof. Michael Baumann, please kindly find attached an interesting article featured in the journal ‘Molecular Oncology’ aiming to promote investment in health research as part of the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 initiative (http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020/index_en.cfm) and with a contribution from the Director of Health at DG Research and Innovation, Dr. Ruxandra Draghia-Akli. Commissioned by Molecular Oncology Editor-in-Chief and Chair of ECCO’s Policy Committee, Dr. Julio Celis, we warmly encourage you to disseminate this article widely within your institution and/ or organisation.

This article importantly indicates the status of the research funding discussions at EU level and provides a direction for where health research should be going, also focusing on oncology.

All sectors will be arguing for more investment in their field of research, and thus this process of dissemination is vital if we want to ensure health research acquires the necessary funding and in particular, a considerable allocation of funding for cancer research projects.

We warmly encourage you to disseminate this article widely within your organisation and members at national level, bearing in mind that negotiations on the allocation of funding for science and health in the next framework programme is currently being discussed by relevant policymakers at EU and national level. Should you have any further questions on ECCO’s advocacy work in this area, please just let us know.

Kind regards,

Edel Fitzgerald
ECCO Public Affairs Coordinator

Skin cancer expert to lead Manchester's Paterson Institute

2011-10-05

The European Association for Cancer Research congratulates EACR Secretary General, Professor Richard Marais, on his appointment as director of the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research in Manchester, UK.

CANCER RESEARCH UK and The University of Manchester have appointed Professor Richard Marais to be the next director of the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research in Manchester.

Currently Professor of Molecular Oncology at The Institute of Cancer Research, Professor Marais will take up his post in February 2012. He succeeds Professor Nic Jones who was appointed Cancer Research UK’s chief scientist earlier this year.

Professor Marais is a world-leading expert on the underlying causes of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. Much of his work has focused on how the protein BRAF triggers cancer, which is faulty in more than half of all melanomas. Damage to the protein locks it in an active form that drives cell growth that ultimately leads to cancer. This work has already led to the discovery of potential new drugs to treat skin cancer that are now showing promise in clinical trials.

Professor Marais said: “I’m delighted to be joining the Paterson Institute at an exciting time for cancer research in Manchester. The Paterson is already recognised internationally and we will build on this reputation over the coming years.”

The Paterson Institute for Cancer Research is one of Cancer Research UK’s five institutes, playing a key role in its world-class research to find new ways to tackle cancer. Each year Cancer Research UK invests £20 million in Manchester to support this work.

Part of The University of Manchester, the Paterson is home to 16 research groups with a wide variety of interests ranging from the study of molecular processes that drive the growth and spread of cancers, to the development of new drugs for leukaemia and discovering the causes of drug resistance in bowel cancer. It has particular research interests in breast and lung cancers and in radiotherapy. It also works very closely with The Christie, one of the leading and largest specialist cancer centres in Europe.

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, president and vice-chancellor of The University of Manchester, said: “I am delighted that Professor Richard Marais has agreed to lead the Paterson Institute, which is a very important role for the University, for Manchester and for cancer. Richard will also become a full professor of the University. His breadth and depth of expertise, from basic science to clinical studies on cancer patients, embraces key goals of the University.”

Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “It’s a great pleasure to announce Professor Marais as the new director of the Paterson Institute. His research into the underlying causes of skin cancer has earned him worldwide recognition and is now beginning to deliver real benefits for patients with this form of the disease. We look forward to welcoming Professor Marais to Manchester and are confident that with his leadership the international reputation of the Paterson will continue to grow.”

Call for Abstracts in Oncology: Tumor Microenvironment

2011-09-15

MedImmune’s Oncology Research Department invites authors to submit abstracts which describe their scientific work in the field of tumor microenvironment for consideration in the MedImmune Oncology Research Abstract Competition.

Qualified applicants include graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in Europe. Abstracts will be reviewed by a panel of experts and selected for presentation and awards on the basis of scientific merit. The deadline for abstract submission is October 7, 2011. The final competition will take place on November 1, 2011 in Cambridge, UK.

For submission guidelines and additional information, please
visit www.medimmune.com/pdf/oncology2011.pdf or click on the image below.

This competition is not open to medical professionals who prescribe, supply or administer medicines or to anyone who recommends, buys or sells medicines.

Julio Celis: bridging science and politics

2011-09-15

JulioCelis is a scientist to his core, and can lay claim to being one of the fathers of proteomics. But
it is in helping shape the structures and vision of Europe’s cancer research effort that he has arguably
had the greatest impact. Better coordination and networking have shown what’s possible, saysCelis,
the challenge now is to move from piecemeal short-term initiatives to something more sustainable.

Marc Beishon, Cancer World

Please click on the image below to view the ESO Cancer World cover story about EACR President Julio Celis (PDF).

Coming Soon! EJC to Launch iPad App at ECCO

2011-08-19

The EJC, your multidisciplinary oncology journal, will be launching on the iPad at the 2011 Stockholm Cancer Congress (23rd to 27th September 2011) in Stockholm.

“We are proud that the EJC is the first European oncology journal to launch an iPad edition,” said Alexander Eggermont, Editor-in-Chief of the EJC. “It is important for our readers to have access to the journal whenever they need it. The iPad edition delivers the EJC to them in an easy to use format, straight to their device.”

Starting in September, the App will contain all 18 issues of the EJC. Each issue will contain the same high quality articles that are published in the printed and online editions. In addition, the app will publish news, videos, and interviews with opinion leaders and top researchers in oncology. The app offers readers the ability to customize the journal by selecting articles, tables, or figures to store and use later, as well as making notes on articles.

Please visit us at ECCO (booth C08:48) to watch a demonstration of the App.

Want to be kept informed? Click here to email the EJC and add your details to our mailing list.

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF NURSES IN CANCER CARE (ISNCC) 2012 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

2011-08-19

The ISNCC Nominations and Awards Committee is seeking interest from members to apply for the followings:

Election to the ISNCC Board of Directors and the ISNCC Executive Committee
Nominations for the ISNCC Awards, including the Distinguished Merit Award, Past Presidents’ Award and Robert Tiffany Lectureship

Please note that the forms must be completed for a nomination to be valid

ISNCC Board of Directors and Executive Committee Nominations

The ISNCC Board of Directors Portfolio positions that are available for nomination are as follows:

Conference Management Portfolio
Policy Portfolio
Communications Portfolio

The ISNCC Executive Committee positions that are available for nomination are:

President-Elect
Secretary-Treasurer

Please click on the link below to find enclosed nomination forms for all Board positions and awards positions.
http://www.isncc.org/files/PDF/ISNCC_2012_Board_of_Directors_and_Executive_Committee_Nomination_Forms.pdf

The ISNCC Head Office will accept nominations for Board of Directors and Executive Officer positions until October 31, 2011

ISNCC Awards Nominations

Distinguished Merit Award

The ISNCC Distinguished Merit Award is offered once every 2 years with the International Conference on Cancer Nursing. The award is in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the international advancement of the science and art of cancer nursing.

Past Presidents’ Award

The ISNCC Past President’s Award is offered once every 2 years with the International Conference on Cancer Nursing. The award is in recognition of a cancer nurse from a developing country who has initiated and sustained a programme of cancer care in her/his country which has been in place for three or more years and has the potential for replication or adaptation beyond the country’s borders.

Robert Tiffany Lectureship

The Robert Tiffany Lectureship is offered once every 2 years with the International Conference on Cancer Nursing. It was created to keep alive and honour the memory of Robert Tiffany, founding member and Foundation President of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care. Robert Tiffany was the initiator of the Biennial International Conference on Cancer Nursing. Robert Tiffany was an inspiration to many nurses around the world and the intention of the named lecture is to honour those who have a similar capacity to inspire cancer nurses of today and of the future.

Additional information is available online at http://www.isncc.org/files/PDF/ISNCC_2012_Awards_Nomination_Form.pdf.

The ISNCC Head Office will accept nominations for ISNCC Awards until January 31, 2012.

Oncopolicy Forum 2011: Health Inequalities, 26-27 September 2011, Stockholm, Sweden

2011-08-16

Oncopolicy - connecting policy and cancer stakeholders

ECCO strives to initiate and strengthen activities and projects aimed at ensuring that cancer remains at the top of health and research policy agenda.

Only through a unified approach can the European oncology community best engage with all policymakers and become a major player in the development of cancer policy.

The new Linked In Oncopolicy group aims to stimulate and inspire interest in Oncopolicy. Members are free to engage with each other and to initiate discussions on any topic that is of interest to the cancer community. Join the group here.

The forum is open to all stakeholders with an interest in ensuring that policy at EU, national and regional levels, addresses the real needs of cancer patients and those involved in their care and treatment.

For more information visit the Oncopolicy pages of the ECCO website.

Informa Healthcare offers 20% discount for EACR Members

2011-08-04

Informa Healthcare offers 20% discount for EACR Members

Informa Healthcare is delighted to offer all EACR members an exclusive 20% book discount. Click on the PDF flyer to see our extensive collection of Oncology titles and take advantage of this fantastic offer now!

Our key titles include the ground-breaking new title Cancer Vaccines: From Research to Clinical Practice, but also reference text Flow Cytometry in Neoplastic Hematology, Second Edition, as well as the fourth edition of Franco Cavalli's Textbook of Medical Oncology and the third edition of Husband’s and Reznek’s Imaging in Oncology, recently Highly Commended at the BMA Medical Book Awards.

To receive your discount, click on the flyer opposite, follow the links and quote EACR at checkout area on www.informahealthcarebooks.com. We look forward to welcoming you on our site!

EACR is pleased to announce the launch of ecancerHub.eu

2011-07-28

EACR is pleased to announce the launch of ecancerHub.eu - a new, open-access, integrated platform to provide the whole cancer community – patients, doctors, researchers and policymakers - with high quality and trustworthy information. Integrating the best of social media technology into one unique platform, ecancerHub enables patients, healthcare professionals and researchers to interact, connect and share. They have the opportunity to discuss, debate, generate new ideas, gather opinions and build knowledge not only within their own groups, but also cross-community.

Of particular interest to researchers will be the Professional Tools search and Custom Web search, which can be used to search for scientific tools and databases from a list of trusted sources recommended by EACR members and other cancer professionals.

ecancerHub is the product of the two-year project Eurocancercoms, a European Commission FP7 funded initiative. The Eurocancercoms project, a partnership of Europe’s major cancer organisations, including EACR and led by the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, looked at issues and bottlenecks surrounding the communication and dissemination of cancer information across Europe, with the aim of establishing a single, efficient network for cancer communication in Europe.

“ecancerHub fulfils our vision of a ‘one-stop-shop’ and we strongly urge you to use and help develop it further” says Professor Gordon McVie, Managing Editor of ecancermedicalscience and one of the leaders of the project. Research conducted as part of the project highlighted the need for a trusted online common platform for healthcare professionals, patients, researchers and policymakers to be able to communicate, network, share and produce knowledge.1 ecancerHub provides a unique solution to fill this gap.

With the help of the community, ecancerHub beta will develop into a fully functioning and thriving platform. Professor Richard Sullivan of the European Cancer Research Managers Forum and a leader of the project says, “We have this excellent platform and now we want the cancer community to get involved, upload content and make this a buzzing hub of ideas and information”.

Visit http://www.ecancerhub.eu to join the discussion, search for useful tools and databases, upload and view videos, create and read blog posts and more.

1. R. Warden, The Internet and science communication: blurring the boundaries, ecancermedicalscience, 4, 2010, DOI: 10.3332/ecancer.2010.203

EMA Consultation: Reflection paper on methodological issues associated with pharmacogenomic biomarkers in relation to clinical development and patient selection

2011-07-27

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recently published a draft reflection paper on methodological issues associated with pharmacogenomic biomarkers in relation to clinical development and patient selection.

The objective of this reflection paper is to highlight key principles that should be considered by stakeholders with focus on use of genomic biomarkers (GBMs) in relation to patient selection and associated issues with trial methodology. Some of the controversial issues are highlighted. The principles are considered applicable to the development and validation of a GBM through the life cycle of a medicinal product, i.e., pre-authorisation and post-marketing stages. The main discussion will be related to drug development and use of the GBMs that predict drug response but many principles are applicable to GBMs that relate to prognosis as well. The document aims to highlight the main considerations related to use of GBMs based on the experiences of CHMP.

The document is available for consultation on the following link: http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Scientific_guideline/2011/07/WC500108672.pdf

Comments related to this reflection paper should be provided using this template http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Template_or_form/2009/10/WC500004016.doc

The completed comments form should be sent to PGWPSecretariat@ema.europa.eu.

Please note that the deadline for comments for this reflection paper is 25 November 2011.

European Journal of Cancer (EJC) goes digital - View the July 2011 edition

2011-07-26

Welcome to the NEW digital edition of the EJC. The EJC, with an Impact Factor of 4.944, brings you original research and reviews on preclinical and basic cancer research, translational and clinical oncology, and epidemiology and cancer prevention.

The digital edition of the EJC is identical to the printed edition of the journal. In addition to containing the same articles, the issue is delivered to you in a portable, easy to use, digital format, which we hope will enhance your access to the journal.

Features of the digital edition include:

‘Turn’ pages with your mouse
Zoom in and out of content
Bookmark articles and individual pages
Search – by phrase, keyword(s), article title or author name
Jump between sections of the issue using the table of contents (visible by clicking the toolbar located in the left hand corner)
Make notes within articles

Click here to access your July edition of the EJC (volume 47, issue 10).

The European Journal of Cancer is the official journal of the EACR and membership of the EACR entitles you to special personal subscription rates.

As the only comprehensive cancer journal in Europe, the EJC is your gateway to oncology. The journal publishes 18 issues every year on a range of topics which include experimental, translational and clinical oncology, and epidemiology and prevention.

The EJC has an Impact Factor of 4.944 and is indexed in PubMed/MEDLINE. The journal has a rigorous peer-review process, which is followed by rapid publication. Papers are published online as Articles-in-Press within 4 weeks of acceptance. The EJC has an international audience and EACR members may be interested to know that more than 800,000 articles have been downloaded from the journal over the past 12 months. To submit your manuscript, please visit http://ees.elsevier.com/ejc.

An online subscription gives you the EJC at your fingertips! Please visit www.ejcancer.info to browse the latest volume, including the journal’s special, themed issues.

The Victorian Branch of the Australian Epigenetic Alliance (www.epialliance.org.au) invites you to a one-day scientific meeting

2011-07-22

A Day with Andy Feinberg
Ella Latham Theatre, Royal Children's Hospital
August 26, 2011 – August 27, 2011

A one day symposium showcasing recent developments in epigenetic research in cancer and complex disease with Keynote speaker, Prof Andrew Feinberg.

The Victorian Branch of the Australian Epigenetic Alliance (www.epialliance.org.au) invites you to a one-day scientific meeting. Epigenetics is a rapidly-expanding field with far-ranging applications from basic mechanisms of gene regulation through to plant and animal epigenomics and complex human disease. This one day symposium will showcase ongoing work by talented local researchers. Our main focuses will be:

Cancer and complex disease epigenetics
Developmental Epigenetics
Chromatin modifiers and epigenetic mechanisms
Epigenetic technologies and Bioinformatics

We invite those interested in presenting their research to submit their abstracts for review. We specifically encourage younger researchers to present their work and be in the running for one of two Young Investigator Awards: 1 PhD student, 1 early Postdoctoral (<3yrs) of $500 each.

The Eleventh International Conference on Progress in Vaccination Against Cancer (PIVAC-11), 10th –13th October 2011, Copenhagen, Denmark

2011-07-18

Extended Abstract, Registration and Meeting Bursary Deadline: Friday 9th September 2011

Scientific Programme: Final programme now available online

Meeting website: http://www.eacr.org/pivac11/

Meeting Bursaries:

EFIS European Federation of Immunological Societies “EFIS-EJI Bursaries”

Two (2) Meeting Bursaries of €500 each are available for participants wishing to attend PIVAC-11. Applicants must be under the age of 35 and would otherwise have financial difficulty in attending the meeting. To apply please send a an e-mail directly to kathryn.wass@nottingham.ac.uk detailing your reasons for attending the meeting, expectation and outcome (Maximum 500 words) and eligibility for the award. Applicants must have submitted an abstract to be eligible.

World Cancer Research Fund International: Grant Applications Announcement

2011-07-14

Grant Applications Announcement
Closing date for outline applications is October 11th 2011
Further details available from www.wcrf.org/apply

WCRF International is now inviting applications for grants to fund research into the effects of food, nutrition, physical activity and weight management on cancer.

Investigator Initiated Grants: A maximum of £250,000 for up to four years, with no more than £75,000 in any one year. Applications are accepted from anywhere in the world, except the Americas (North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America).

Regional Seed Grants: A maximum of £60,000 for up to two years. These funds are for pilot research on innovative ideas relevant to the below research principles, and are awarded to investigators specifically from countries where WCRF International member organisations operate (France, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and the UK), except the USA.

General Research Principles:

1. Clarify the evidence on research areas of nutrition and cancer
2. Life course exposures in relation to cancer
3. The role of body fatness and physical activity in relation to cancer
4. Patterns of diet and physical activity in relation to cancer
5. Molecular/genetic research
6. Methodological research
7. Cancer survivors research

*Preference will be given to applications that are of direct relevance to human cancer.

For more information, see our Grant Application Package online: http://www.wcrf.org/gap

WCRF International • 22 Bedford Square •
London • WC1B 3HH • United Kingdom • www.wcrf.org
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7343 4200 • Fax: +44 (0) 20 7343 4220

Preview of the EACR-22 Advance Scientific Programme: EACR-22 'From Basic Research to Personalised Cancer Treatment'

2011-07-14

Preview of the EACR-22 Advance Scientific Programme

Please click here to download the Programme

Please click here to download an overview of the Congress Schedule

Any updates will be notified through the news feed http://www.eacr.org/LatestNews.rss and added to the documents available on our website www.eacr.org

EACR-22 'From Basic Research to Personalised Cancer Treatment'

The 22nd Biennial EACR Congress will be held in Barcelona 7 -10 July 2012. We are delighted to be supported by the Spanish Association for Cancer Research (ASEICA) and to be holding the Congress in one of Europe's most vibrant cities, a city with a remarkable reputation for cancer research and cancer care.

EACR-22 will provide a forum for discussion between scientists working in all fields of cancer research. It will focus on the latest developments in basic and discovery driven translational research, all the way to personalised cancer treatment.

EACR congresses offer an exciting programme that is highly valued by participants. EACR-22 in Barcelona will offer outstanding plenary lectures complemented by focussed symposia across eighteen topics. There will be opportunities for participants to attend 'Educational Sessions' as well as invitations to 'Meet the Expert'.

I hope you will find the preview of the Advance Programme interesting. A complete Advance Programme and registration information will be published in September. I hope you have an enjoyable summer and that you will take a little time to look ahead 12 months and save the dates of EACR-22

Julio Celis
EACR President and Congress Chair

EACR is grateful for the ongoing support of its Sustaining Members

Principal Sponsors
Abcam, Association for International Cancer Research (AICR), Carcinogenesis, European Cancer Organisation (ECCO), Susan G Komen for the Cure, The Pezcoller Foundation

EACR Meeting: Cell Death in Cancer, 26th - 28th January 2012, Amsterdam

2011-07-11

The EACR conference on Cell Death in Cancer, Amsterdam 26th – 28th January 2012, aims at bringing together researchers from different disciplines with an interest in the role of cell death in tumourigenesis, malignant progression and therapy resistance; as well as the exploitation of cell death pathways for therapeutic targeting. Given its translational character, the conference is of broad interest for basic researchers and medical oncologists as well as for pharmaceutical companies. Furthermore, we envisage providing a platform where young scientists can meet experts in the field of cell death research in an inspiring informal atmosphere to share research findings and to establish or strengthen collaborations.

During the last decade the concept of "apoptotic cell death“ as a natural barrier against cancer has evolved to the widened concept of "programmed cell death“ as a cancer barrier. It is now largely recognised that disruption of cell death pathways not only allows cells to deal with microenvironmental stress occurring during carcinogenesis but also to escape the cytotoxic action of chemo-, radio- or immunotherapy. On the other hand, although being beneficial in limiting cancer cell proliferation, programmed cell death II (autophagy) and death by necrosis can have tumour promoting potential. Research about the diverse modes of programmed cell death and their dual role in tumour development and therapy resistance is an exciting and rapidly evolving field which has enormous impact on the development and implementation of novel therapeutic strategies.

The topics that will be covered in the conference include important aspects of cell death as it relates to cancer biology and treatment, such as:

Cell death signalling, novel forms of programmed cell death, autophagy in cell death and cancer, cancer stem cells and cell death, metabolism and cell death, cell death and the microenvironment, cell death resistance and therapeutic targeting, post-mortem stress and the efficacy of anticancer therapies, biomarkers in early clinical trials.

Confirmed speakers:
Patricia Agostinis, Belgium
Steven De Jong, Netherlands
Ruggero De Maria, Italy
Ivan Dikic, Germany
Caroline Dive, UK
Simone Fulda, Germany
Eyal Gottlieb, UK
Verena Jendrossek, Germany
Guido Kroemer, France
Anthony Letai, USA
Seamus Martin, Ireland
Jan Paul Medema, the Netherlands
Kevin Ryan, UK
Clemens Schmitt, Germany
Peter Vandenabeele, Belgium
Domagoj Vucic, USA
Eileen White, USA

Accreditation by the Accreditation Council of Oncology in Europe (ACOE) has been applied for.
We hope that you will be able to join us in Amsterdam, from the 26th – 28th January 2012, and contribute to this exciting meeting.

Verena Jendrossek and Simone Fulda
Chairs of the EACR Conference on Cell Death in Cancer

For full details visit the dedicated EACR Meeting site at http://www.eacr.org/celldeathincancer2012/

Cancer Research UK’s new investigator awards

2011-07-07

Cancer Research UK has three funding schemes that are aimed at outstanding scientists who wish to establish or develop their independent career in cancer research. Applicants are expected to demonstrate the promise of becoming future research leaders and will have an excellent track record in their previous work.

High-quality and innovative applications are invited from those with interests in any area of cancer-relevant basic, biomedical and population research.

The Career Establishment Award is for non-clinical and clinical researchers who are within three years of taking up their first Higher Education Funding Council-funded post, and provides five years’ support to set-up a research group.

The Career Development Fellowship is for non-clinical researchers who have between three and six years’ postdoctoral research experience, and provides six years’ support to establish an independent research group for the first time.

The Senior Cancer Research Fellowship is for non-clinical researchers with six to ten years’ postdoctoral research experience and for clinician scientists with a CCT and extensive postdoctoral research experience. The fellowship provides six years’ support to establish or develop an independent research group.

You can find more information and details of how to apply on Cancer Research UK’s website: www.cancerresearchuk.org/new-investigator-awards

Please contact: Dr Matthew Kaiser – matthew.kaiser@cancer.org.uk; 020 3469 5337

The next deadline for preliminary applications is 28th July 2011.

Cancer Research UK have announced that 10 new investigators were
supported in the last round and the charity aims to support 10 more in
the upcoming round.

Press Release: Lung cancer expert wins lifetime achievement award

2011-07-06

Member of the British Association for Cancer Research (BACR), affiliated to EACR, wins lifetime achievement award.

A University of Liverpool professor has received a lifetime achievement award at the annual World Conference on Lung Cancer taking place in Amsterdam.

Professor John Field received the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Joseph W. Cullen Award, which recognises the lifetime scientific achievements in prevention research of thoracic malignancies.

He leads the Liverpool Lung Project at the University of Liverpool - research into the early detection of lung cancer which has been funded for the past 15 years by The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. He is also the Chief Investigator of the UK Lung Cancer Screening Pilot Trial (UKLS).

Upon being recognised for the award, Professor Field was quick to acknowledge the support he has gained from the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation that allows him to continue in his research into early detection of the disease.

He said: “This award represents all of the work undertaken since 1996 in Liverpool, particularly through the Liverpool Lung Project research programme. It also reflects the major investment and support from The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation over this time.”

Professor Ray Donnelly, founder of The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, added: “I would like to congratulate Professor Field on his award, which recognises the excellence of his work and the dedication he has shown throughout his career towards defeating lung cancer.”

The Liverpool Lung Project was set up to identify groups of people who may be at high risk of developing lung cancer in order to promote earlier diagnosis and improved survival rates.

The International Association for the Study Lung Cancer hosts the World Conference on Lung Cancer every two years, and partners with other international cancer organizations to hosts workshops and conferences around the world. The 14th World Conference on Lung Cancer will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 3 -7 July 2011.

Full Press Release (direct link).

Vall d´Hebron Institute of Oncology´s (VHIO) translational research model: an interview with Joan Seoane

2011-07-05

Recently captured at the 2011 ASCO meeting, Joan Seoane, Director of the Vall d´Hebron Institute of Oncology´s (VHIO) Translational Research Programme talks to ecancermedicalscience about the Institute´s translational research model, current research into stem cells and biomarkers aimed at providing a more effective, personalized approach to treatment, as well as data surrounding brain cancer stem cells and the various signaling pathways that can be used to combat brain tumours.

Serving on the Executive Committee of the European Association of Cancer Research (EACR) as Representative for Young Researchers, as well as Chair of the Local Organizing Committee of its forthcoming 22nd Biennial EACR Congress From Basic Research to Personalised Cancer Treatment, 7 – 10 July 2012, Barcelona, Spain, he concludes by anticipating just some of the many reasons for making EACR-22 a must-attend meeting in 2012.

To watch the interview now please click here.

To visit the VHIO webpages directly click here.

EMA's second stakeholder forum on the implementation of the new 2010 pharmacovigilance legislation

2011-06-28

European Medicines Agency listens to stakeholder expectations for pharmacovigilance reforms

The European Medicines Agency has hosted a second workshop on the changes to the safety-monitoring of medicines in Europe, where it heard the expectations from patients, consumer groups, healthcare professionals and the pharmaceutical industry.

The second stakeholder forum on the implementation of the new pharmacovigilance legislation, which took place on Friday 17 June, involved discussions between the Agency, key stakeholder groups and medicines regulatory authorities from the European Union (EU) Member States.

The press release referring to this matter can be found in the following link.

A meeting report is available on the following link.

ECCO President's Interview with European Journal of Cancer on Biomed Alliance

2011-06-28

Dear ECCO members

For your information, please find attached the June issue of EJC News, which features, on pages 10-12, an interview of Professor Michael Baumann, President of ECCO, about the Alliance for Biomedical Research in Europe (Biomed Alliance) of which ECCO is a founding member.

With best wishes

Carine Lecoq
Societies Coordinator

avenue E. Mounier, 83 - B-1200 Brussels - Belgium
Phone +32 2 775 02 01
Fax +32 2 775 02 00
Direct +32 2 775 29 31
www.ecco-org.eu

PREDECT: a powerful new European Consortium addressing novel laboratory models for cancer target validation

2011-06-17

PREDECT is a European consortium of 26 principle investigators, managed by Servier, AstraZeneca and the University of Helsinki, which brings together academic laboratories, biotechs and the pharmaceutical industry. This research network aims to develop innovative models and technologies for the preclinical
evaluation of cancer therapy targets. The program of work should eventually improve the clinical success of therapies designed for the treatment of cancer. There has been an explosion, in the last decade, of the knowledge regarding the genetic changes that are associated with cancer. This knowledge provides great opportunities for improved, selective treatments through the design of new drugs and antibodies that are
targeted specifically to those changes in tumour cells responsible for the survival, proliferation and spread of the cancer. A challenge for drug discovery is to establish which of the many molecular changes associated with a particular cancer type, in a particular patient subgroup, are responsible for the pathology and which are associated “bystanders” playing a minimal or no role. Accumulating information suggests that an alarmingly high proportion of new drugs, targeted to recently-identified molecular changes in cancer, lack efficacy when tried in patients. One reason for this lack of efficacy may reflect the use of over-simplified laboratory models of cancer that do not represent the complexity and heterogeneity of tumours.In these “reductionist” models promising drug targets may not work as they would in a cancer patient and consequently drug inhibition has only a modest or no effect clinically.

PREDECT sets out to provide new laboratory models of human cancer that better reflect the complexity and heterogeneity of cancers. Working in teams investigating breast, prostate and lung cancers, PREDECT will use advanced mouse models of cancer, some of which will be genetically engineered and matched to particular groups of patients with these cancers, to progressively “deconstruct” the complex tumours into simpler forms for use on the laboratory bench. Examples are thin slices of tumour tissue and tumour cells growing in three-dimensions together with supporting cells, rather than the simple, conventional two dimensional models. At each stage of the reduction of complexity, the tumour cells will be profiled to establish how closely they represent the tumour of origin, growing in vivo, and thus how closely they represent a human tumour. Novel complex models with the appropriate profiles can eventually be used to validate that a new, potential target for cancer treatment is worth pursuing.

For more information about PREDECT please read the full Press Release PDF or visit the website at www.predect.eu

CRUK Research Bursaries for clinicians and professions allied to Medicine

2011-06-15

We are currently welcoming applications for Research Bursaries from clinicians, nurses and those working in allied health professions. This is a short-term funding opportunity to encourage clinicians and those in related posts to be freed from clinical duties in order to pursue a research project.

The Bursaries will provide up to £25,000, for up to 12 months. The funding can be used to cover the applicant's salary or research expenses, or a combination of the two.

You may apply for this scheme if your salary is funded by an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship (or equivalent) and you want to use the Bursary to fund your research expenses.

More information and details of how to apply can be found on our website:
www.cancerresearchuk.org/research-bursaries

Or by contacting:
Dr Emma Tomlinson emma.tomlinson@cancer.org.uk; 020 3469 5334

Successful awards can be activated from 1st January 2012.

Applications must be completed online
The next deadline is 1st August 2011

The GE & Science Prize for Young Life Scientists

2011-06-13

Do you know someone who received their Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in 2010?

If so, encourage them to apply for the prestigious GE & Science Prize for Young Life Scientists

The Grand Prize winner of the GE & Science Prize will:

Receive a cash prize of $25,000 USD
Be published and highlighted in Science magazine
Win a trip to Stockholm, Sweden, where they will make their acceptance speech at the Grand Hotel
Participate in a seminar with Nobel Laureates and other prize winners

To enter, the applicant needs to submit a 1,000 word essay by
August 1, 2011

Click here for more information

The submission deadline is 1st August 2011

TRAIN announces the launch of the first call in the postdoc programme for internationalisation with support from the Marie Curie COFUND action

2011-06-09

The first call of the TRAIN Project, endorsed by the OECI, is now open.
The First call will assign 4 mobility grants to non-Italian scientist. Two other calls are expected.
Each approved grantee will receive a monthly allowance of 3000 Euro plus a contribution for travel. The host laboratory will receive a fixed contribution of 4800 euro.
TRAIN is designed to encourage the promotion and development of International programmes of research, through mobility at various stages of research careers, in order to improve translational skills in the field of cancer.
For further information visit
www.trainoncology.eu

The call is open until August 5, 2011

TRAIN is financed under the EU action called "Co-financing of regional, national and International programmes" (COFUND) of the EC "Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) – People”

Apply now for a Breast Cancer Campaign project grant or PhD studentship

2011-06-08

Only 4 weeks left!

Breast Cancer Campaign funds innovative world-class research throughout the UK and Ireland. Campaign has an annual research spend of around £5 million. In 2010, Campaign awarded 17 project grants, 11 pilot grants, 5 PhD studentships and 1 scientific fellowship.

Campaign is now inviting applications for project grants and PhD studentships to be awarded in November 2011.

The closing date for applications is 1 July 2011.

For further information and an application form visit our website www.breastcancercampaign.org or click here

If you have any queries or would like to be kept up-to-date with future funding opportunities email research@breastcancercampaign.org

We welcome applications in all areas of breast cancer research including: basic, translational and pre-clinical research, prevention (impact of diet and lifestyle on risk), psychosocial sciences, epidemiology, bioinformatics, nursing, palliative care, complementary therapy, general practice, education, radiology, radiotherapy, medicinal chemistry, pharmacy and pharmacology.

The Breast Cancer Campaign Tissue Bank is now open for use with Campaign funded research
Visit www.breastcancertissuebank.org to access the sample finder and for more details.

Future Campaign Application Deadlines

Breast Cancer Campaign is continuing all existing funding streams: Project grants, PhD studentships, scientific fellowships and pilot grants.

Our upcoming deadlines for submission are as below:

Award Type	Application Deadline	Award Meeting Date
Project grants	1 July 2011	November 2011
PhD studentships	1 July 2011	November 2011
Pilot grants	September 2011 (tbc)	November 2011
Scientific fellowships	December 2011 (tbc)	May 2012

Oxford University Press is pleased to invite nominations for the seventh biennial Carcinogenesis Awards

2011-06-01

Oxford University Press is pleased to invite nominations for the seventh biennial Carcinogenesis Awards. The awards are presented at the biennial meetings of the European Association for Cancer Research. The next presentation will be at the EACR’s Biennial Congress: EACR-22, Barcelona, 7-10 July 2012.

SENIOR AWARD
For major contributions to research in the field of carcinogenesis. The winner will be invited to lecture on his or her work at the EACR meeting and be presented with this award and a prize of $2500.
Previous winners of the Anthony Dipple Carcinogenesis Award: David Lane, UK (2004), Raymond N. Dubois, USA (2006), Robert A Weinberg, USA (2008), and David Livingston, USA (2010).

YOUNG INVESTIGATOR AWARD
A prize of $2500 is offered for a recent, significant contribution to carcinogenesis research by an investigator under the age of 40 on 1 July 2011. The winner will be invited to the EACR meeting to give a lecture and be presented with this award.
Previous winners of the Carcinogenesis Young Investigator Award: Maria Blasco, Spain (2004), Manel Esteller, Spain (2006), Victor Velculescu, USA (2008) and Thomas Helleday, UK (2010).

Nominations are now invited for these awards. Please send the name(s) and address(es) of nominee(s) to the e-mail address below by 1 July 2011, together with reasons for the recommendation, details of relevant publications and a curriculum vitae. Self nominations cannot be accepted. The decision making panel comprises the editors of Carcinogenesis and members of the Editorial Board. A final decision will be made by the end of 2011.

Nomination Announcement Advert

Address for nominations by 1 July 2011 to:
carcinogenesis.editorialoffice@oup.com
www.carcin.oxfordjournals.org

Cancer Research UK’s Research Travel Award - Latest Awardees

2011-05-18

If you are a post-doctoral researcher who is funded by Cancer Research UK don't forget that you can apply for a Research Travel Award. They are very much like our own EACR Travel Fellowships. Recent awardees are;

Dr Fabio Puddu: London Research Institute (Vincenzo Costanzo), “Revealing the structure of replication intermediates during unchallenged and stressed DNA replication”. Visit University of Zürich (Massimo Lopes). Amount awarded: £3,300
Dr Rebecca Savill: Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology (Anne Kiltie), “Regulation of MRE11 translational efficiency during hypoxia”. Visit Ontario Cancer Institute (Bradly Wouters). Amount awarded: £5,200
Dr Sebastien Serres: Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology (Nicola Sibson), “Development of in vivo multinuclear spectroscopy to determine the consequences of brain metastases on cerebral metabolism, perfusion and neuronal function”. Visit Yale University (Graeme Mason) for three weeks. Amount awarded: £2,850
Dr Lovorka Stojic: University of Cambridge (Cambridge Research Institute, Adele Murrell), “Mechanisms whereby novel long noncoding RNA regulate cancer related gene expression”. Visit Harvard University (John Rinn) for three months. Amount awarded: £6,000
Dr Virginia Tajadura King’s College London (Anne Ridley), “Investigating how RhoH regulates cancer cell migration”. Visit two laboratories at the University of North Carolina (Klaus Hahn and Timothy Elston) for three months. Amount awarded: £4,390
Dr Michelle Welsh Beatson Institute for Cancer Research (Hing Leung), “Investigation of the importance of androgen-dependent stromal-epithelial interactions in prostate disease”. Visit Vanderbilt University (Simon Hayward) for three weeks. Amount awarded: £2,495

The next submission date is 30th June 2011. For more information visit www.cancerresearchuk.org/research-travel-award

Cancer Research UK’s Research Travel Award - Next application deadline is the 30th June 2011

2011-05-18

There is an exciting opportunity for any ambitious Cancer Research UK-funded postdoctoral researcher to apply for support to visit a world-leading research group elsewhere in the UK or overseas.

You can find more information and details of how to apply on Cancer Research UK’s website:
www.cancerresearchuk.org/research-travel-award

Please contact: Dr Matthew Kaiser – matthew.kaiser@cancer.org.uk; 020 3469 5337

The next deadlines for applications are 30th June 2011 and 30th November 2011

nhsnetworks: Sexual Rehabilitation after Cancer

2011-05-09

A network for cancer professionals and sexual-health-related professionals working with cancer patients interested in helping cancer patients overcome sexual problems.

Type of network: Clinical
Mainly for: Professionals working with cancer patients
Membership policy: Apply to join
Coverage: UK - international applications welcome
Members: 92
Formed: 14 December 2010
Contact: Dr Darja Brandenburg, Jo Taylor darja.brandenburg@nhs.net

Mission statement

- To connect and support professionals working with cancer patients who have sexual problems - To enable access to the opinions of a mutidisciplinary group of colleagues interested in the field - To share information about upcoming events, literature searches, relevant documents and resources, other networks, etc - To present current cases where advice or suggestions are sought (patient consent to bringing their case to this network will need to be obtained and every attempt will need to be made to anonymise data and made the case non-identifyable) - To present interesting cases which may be useful for member's learning and discussion (again with patient consent and anonymisation) - To discuss and take forward any potential future projects of the group (e.g. best practice guidelines, research projects, further training events, conferences, etc)

Click for 'How to join this network'

2011 GSK Oncology Ethnic Research Initiative (GSK ERI) Research Grant

2011-05-06

The GSK Oncology Ethnic Research Initiative (GSK ERI) is a pioneering Research Grant programme designed to support independent non-clinical research focused on improving understanding of breast cancer in ethnically diverse populations. GSK is proud to announce the extension of this initiative to 2011, with the intent of awarding at least 6 research grants for 12 to 27 months duration, ranging in value from US$100,000 to US$250,000.

The 2011 GSK ERI grants Guidelines and LOI are available here.

Please note that the Letter of Intent submission deadline is June 3, 2011. If you or any of your colleagues would be interested to submit an LOI for the 2010 GSK ERI grant, or for other inquiries related to this programme, please send your request via email directly to:
GSK ERI Project Manager c/o gsk.eri@innovara.com.

EACR Members note: Priority will be given to applications for research conducted in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as in indigenous and other ethnically diverse, underserved populations at risk of or with breast cancer in other countries or regions of the world. The grant program specifically excludes the United States and Western European countries.

Research that may be considered includes breast cancer epidemiology, ethnicity, genetics, molecular/genetic epidemiology, risk assessment, biomarkers of risk or other factors causing or contributing to breast cancer, and other aspects of basic research that will develop important insights into and potential solutions to better meet challenges of breast cancer in such diverse ethnic populations. At this time, clinical research or research involving novel therapeutics or treatment responses, environmental or prevention-related research, will not be considered.

The ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize

2011-04-21

EXTENDED DEADLINE: 10th MAY

The annual "Prix ARC Léopold Griffuel" prize was created in accordance with the late
will and testament of Mrs. Griffuel. The prize is awarded by the Board of Directors of the French Cancer Research Association (ARC) after evaluation by a scientific committee.

This prestigious prize of €100,000 is awarded to an investigator or a team, whose work has led to a major breakthrough in cancer research. The candidates must still be involved in research. If the application is filed on behalf of a single researcher, s/he must be under 65 in the nomination year.

All applications must be sponsored by at least two internationally renowned scientists. The letter of application may be presented either directly by the sponsors or by the candidate himself/herself, who must then obtain the letters of recommendation from his/her sponsors. This letter of application must be followed by a completed application file. A candidate or a team cannot apply more than 3 sessions for the ARC Léopold Griffuel Prize.

The name(s) of the award winner(s) will be announced during the second-half of 2011. The official award ceremony will take place in Paris, France. The award winner, or at least one member of the awarded group, need to be present at the ceremony.

The application file must be sent by both, e-mail AND postal mail and the original signed application file should be sent by special delivery no later than May 10th 2011

Full details available at: http://www.arc-cancer.net/pages_chercheurs/griffuel_ang.htm

E-mail: griffuel@arc-cancer.net
Postal address: Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer, Prix ARC Léopold Griffuel, 9 rue Guy Moquet, 94803 Villejuif Cedex, France.

EACR Members invited to express an interest in the Independent Expert Evaluation Panel of Train

2011-04-19

We would like to inform you about the TRAIN project and invite you to express interest in participating as a member of the independent expert evaluation panel.

TRAIN is a three-year mobility programme, part of the Marie Curie COFUND Programme, and will provide fellowships open to the international scientific community. The aim of the programme is to improve skills in the field of translational cancer research and is supported by the European Commission and an Italian Consortium coordinated by the Italian National Institute of Health. The project is endorsed by: EACR, OECI, UICC and ESO.

In order to select successful applicants, TRAIN is constituting a panel of independent expert evaluators in the following fields of translational oncology:

Cutting edge and innovative research on topics related to translational oncology
Applications to translational oncology coming from other fields
Medical Oncology
Surgical Oncology
Imaging
Radiotherapy
Biotherapy (including regenerative medicine)
Palliative Care and Rehabilitation
Pathobiology (including biomarkers)
Epidemiology and Cancer registries
Oncogenomics and Genetics
Bio-banks
Cancer Immunology
Mutagenesis and Carcinogenesis
Bioinformatics and Structural Biology
Pharmacogenomics
Cancer Information
Molecular and Cell Biology
Micro-invasion and Metastasis
Management, Intellectual Property, Exploitation, Technology Transfer

TRAIN welcomes the interest of EACR members in joining the independent panel as evaluators. Please connect to http://trainoncology.eu click on the “Evaluators” button and then follow the instructions to register your name in the TRAIN database creating your evaluator profile.

As soon as your registration is completed you will receive an automatic confirmation message from the TRAINONCOLOGY webmaster.

The Expert Evaluation Panel in Cancer Translational Research is unique and the potential for its involvement in other European initiatives will be explored. The database will be provided to the European Commission.

Robert Kenney
EACR Executive Director

New EACR website launched

2011-04-19

The new look website has now been launched. We’ve listened to feedback and comments from members and analysed our web stats and have set out to produce a modern, vibrant, well organised website.

Information has been restructured intuitively, making it easier for you to find what you are looking for. We’ve used a wider format to utilise more space on larger screens and have created a specific ‘Members’ hub for you to easily access the content and features you use most often.

The ‘LATEST’ information tab on the home page provides you with a fast summary of new items. RSS feeds are now available for all our News, Jobs and Meetings announcements so you don’t have to keep checking back to the website. We will also be using Twitter to further inform members and promote discussion – you can follow us @eacrnews. Be patient though - it’s new to us!

It’s not all new – many of the useful features have not changed. You can still Update your details, take part in discussion forums, read Programme Books, Publications and Surveys, search the Directory of members and Upload, view and comment on documents as before.

New features include; Fully searchable website, Individual RSS feeds for News, Jobs and Meetings, Twitter feed, Members Hub, Latest information tab.

EACR Council: Election results announced

2011-04-18

The ballot for EACR Council voting has now closed and we are pleased to announce the following candidates have been elected to the EACR Council.

Thank you to the qualifying members who have participated in the vote.

The EACR Secretariat has written to all candidates informing them of the results and thanking them for their participation in the election.

National Network
Norway - Prof Ragnhild A Lothe
Portugal - Dr Leonor David

Open Seats
Dr Luba Hunakova
Dr Simone Niclou

For full details visit the elections results page.

EACR22: Early Speaker Confirmations

2011-04-18

We are pleased to update you on early speaker confirmations:

José Baselga
Leroy Hood
Joan Massagué
John Mendelsohn
Mike Stratton
Axel Ullrich

2011 EACR Cancer Researcher Award Lecture

2011-04-04

Manel Esteller has been awarded the 2011 EACR Cancer Researcher Award Lecture. Manel will give his award lecture at The 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress organised in partnership with ECCO, ESMO, ESSO, EACR, EONS and SIOPE. The Award Lecture is scheduled for presentation during the EACR Society Session on Sunday 25th September from 16.45 – 18.15.

We would like to congratulate our "Highly Commended" Award Winners: Dr Jesus Gil from the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, London and Dr Chris Bakal from the The Institute of Cancer Research, London.

Further details about the EACR Cancer Researcher Award Lecture can be found here

EACR Council: Elections and changes in Council composition

2011-02-04

The Council Remit:

Council members build the relationship between their membership constituency and EACR; provide advice to the EACR Executive Committee; contribute to EACR communications; and look for opportunities for partnership working.

Where a ‘National Society’ does not exist in their country, the Council member seeks to develop a national network of EACR members with support provided through the Secretariat.

Change in Council Composition – January 2011

The President, or Presidents’ nominee, of BACR (Belgium) and DSCF (Denmark) gain seats on the EACR Council as new National Society Representatives. Prior to BACR and DSCF joining EACR as Society Members an open and a National Network representative seat were held by Belgium and Denmark respectively.

Two new countries now qualify for ‘National Network’ representative seats on the EACR Council. An election will be held in the coming weeks to determine representatives for Norway and Portugal.

Two ‘Open Seats’ are now available to eligible members following the changes in Council detailed above.

Elected Representatives:

‘National Network’ representatives

Seats on the Council become available for ‘National Network’ representatives when the individuals membership in any country reaches the qualifying level at the census point.

Two countries qualify for seats on the Council and are:

Norway and Portugal
The term of office for a ‘National Network’ representative is four years. However if membership falls below the qualifying level the representative will be required to stand down.

‘Open Seats’

Two seats are now open for nomination and election across the Individual Members of EACR who are not working in a country that will be represented by a ‘National Society’ or ‘National Network’ representative. It is seen as desirable that nominees should be based in a country with an EACR membership that is growing strongly, are interested in developing a National Network and willing to liaise across a European Region.

Members interested in learning more about the election process or seeking nomination should click here for further information.

EACR Council: Nominations are invited for seats on the EACR Council

2011-02-04

The Council Remit:

Where a ‘National Society’ does not exist in their country, the Council member seeks to develop a national network of EACR members with support provided through the Secretariat.

Nominations are invited for seats on the EACR Council

‘National Network Seats’

Seats on the Council become available for ‘National Network’ representatives when membership in any country exceeds 2% of the current Individual Membership of EACR.

Two countries qualify for seats on the Council and are:

Norway and Portugal

Members from the above countries are asked to consider seeking nomination to the EACR Council.

The Russian Federation seat will not be retained on the Council as the membership level no longer meets the qualifying criteria of 2% of current membership level. [By-laws]

Procedure:
Submit a cv and short statement (no more than 300 words) in support of your candidature for consideration by the Council Nominating Committee by Friday 25th February.

The Council Nominating Committee will then decide whether to instruct the Secretariat to ballot members in the country concerned, confirm a single candidate as elected unopposed or to issue a further call for nominations.

The c.v. and statement should be submitted as an e-mail attachment marked for the attention of andrew.binns@nottingham.ac.uk who will forward the documentation to the Council Nominating Committee.

‘Open Seats’

Two seats are also open for nomination and election across the Individual Members of EACR who are not in a country that will be represented by a ‘National Society’ or ‘National Network’ representative. It is desirable that nominees should be based in a country with an EACR membership that is growing strongly, are interested in developing a National Network and willing to liaise across a European Region.

Procedure:
Submit a c.v. and short statement (no more than 300 words) in support of your candidature by Friday 25th February for consideration by the Council Nominating Committee. The Council Nomination Committee will then decide whether to instruct the Secretariat to ballot members, confirm candidates as elected unopposed or to issue a further call for nominations.

The cv and statement should be submitted as an e-mail attachment marked for the attention of andrew.binns@nottingham.ac.uk who will forward the documentation to the Council Nominating Committee.

Further Information

Next Meeting of the Council
The Council will meet annually at the biennial EACR Congress and European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress. The 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress Integrating basic & translational science, surgery, radiotherapy,medical oncology & care, Stockholm, Sweden, 23 – 27 September 2011; EACR-22 Barcelona, 7 – 10 July 2012.

Support for EACR Council Representatives

Administrative Support
Administrative Support through the EACR Secretariat will be provided for Council members seeking to develop a national network of EACR members and for initiatives that create opportunities for partnership working. The scope of this support will be individually negotiated and agreed within the Association’s available resources.

Developmental Support
EACR will seek to support meetings set up to encourage the formation of National Societies or Networks.

Council Meeting Attendance

Council Meetings at EACR-21 (2010) and EACR-22 (2012)	Up to 500 Euros towards travel and accommodation expenses to attend the Council Meeting. A complimentary registration is also available for Council Members wishing to stay on at the congress and enjoy the science
Council Meetings at ECCO-15 (2009) and European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress (2011)	Up to 500 Euros towards travel and accommodation expenses to attend the Council Meeting A complimentary registration for the conference will also be purchased if requested by a given date

2011 Membership Fees: Increase in Annual Fees

2011-01-06

Membership Fees will increase to 40 EUR per annum for Active Members from January 2011. This is the first increase since 2001.

No increase in 'Four Year Membership' offer

We have been anticipating the need to increase fees over the past eighteen months and a four year fee at 120 EUR was introduced in 2009 which around a quarter of members have taken up. The four year membership option at 120 EUR will be maintained for all renewals in 2011 and 2012, alongside the annual fee option. Members renewing may find the four year subscription convenient - the administrative costs for the Association are also significantly reduced.

Free Student membership

Up to four years free membership remains available for qualifying students

Click for further information about Membership Fees, Invoicing and Payment Methods and 2011 Membership Fee renewals.

MedImmune Announces Winners of European Cancer Research Abstract Competition

2010-11-18

MedImmune announced the winners of its second annual European research abstract competition which highlights the research of the next generation of scientific leaders in cancer research. Students and postdoctoral fellows from across Europe were invited to submit abstracts describing their research in the field of tumour microenvironments as part of the competition sponsored by MedImmune, AstraZeneca’s global biologics unit, which has a research facility in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.

MedImmune winners (left to right): Thomas Cox, Carmela De Santo and Alexandre Trindade

Carmela De Santo a scientist from The Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, UK, was awarded first prize of £2,000 for her research in immune modulation entitled ‘A novel melanoma immunoescape mechanism based on the secretion of serum amyloid A and differentiation of IL-10-secreting neutrophils’. “It is a great honour to win this competition and to have the opportunity to present my research and gain feedback from leading experts in oncology,” said Carmela De Santo. “It is encouraging to see a research-focused company recognizing young scientists and supporting us in this way. I would like to thank MedImmune for this opportunity and acknowledgement.”

Second and third prizes of £1,000 and £500 were awarded to Alexandre Trindade from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Technical University of Lisbon (UTL), Lisbon, Portugal and Gulbenkian Institute of Science, Oeiras, Portugal for his research in angiogenesis, and Thomas Cox from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK for his research in extracellular matrix modulation respectively.

“We are extremely impressed with the calibre of the scientific research being conducted by these researchers,” said Dr Christian Blank, one of the competition’s judges and Group Leader, Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, The Netherlands. “Increasing our understanding of tumour microenvironments can help improve our overall understanding of how cancers behave. The research these young scientists are conducting will add to the pool of knowledge the scientific community can draw upon when developing new therapies.”

“One of our primary objectives at MedImmune is to promote and advance health and science education,” said Dr. Klaus Bosslet, Vice President Research, Oncology, MedImmune. “This competition is part of our commitment to investing in the development of the next generation of leading scientists. These young scientists could one day occupy the top echelons of scientific research and we at MedImmune are honoured to play a part in their future careers by providing some recognition for their hard work.”

The competition was open to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in Europe with ten finalists shortlisted to present their research to an expert panel of judges including Professor Adrian Harris, The Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, UK; Dr. Christian Blank, Group Leader, Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, The Netherlands; Dr. Klaus Bosslet, Vice President Research, Oncology, MedImmune and Dr. Scott Hammond, Scientist II, Senior Scientist, MedImmune. The focus of the competition – tumour microenvironments – reflects the research interests of MedImmune’s UK-based Oncology Department in Cambridge. The three winners were announced at the awards ceremony at Cambridge University’s prestigious Downing College following evaluation of their presentations on the basis of scientific merit, innovation and delivery.

MedImmune

MedImmune, the worldwide biologics unit for AstraZeneca PLC (LSE: AZN.L, NYSE: AZN), has approximately 3,500 employees worldwide and is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA. With an advancing pipeline of promising drug candidates, MedImmune strives to deliver life-changing products, a rewarding career to our employees and a tireless commitment to improving patient health.

For more information, visit MedImmune’s website at www.medimmune.com

Cancer Research and the EACR

2010-11-12

Anne-Lise Børresen-Dale, EACR Past-President

Anne-Lise Børresen-Dale is currently Past-President of the EACR, having completed her term as President at EACR-21 in her home city of Oslo this Summer. Here she gives an interview to ‘ResearchMedia’ about the progress and future of cancer research and the role of EACR. We hope that both members and non-members alike will find this short piece an informative read. Please click here to open the PDF document.

European Journal of Cancer (EJC)

2010-10-21

Editor-in-Chief

The European Journal of Cancer (EJC) is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Alexander (Lex) Eggermont who will take over as Editor-in-Chief of the journal in January 2011. He takes over from Professor John Smyth (Edinburgh, UK) who will have been at the helm for 10 years.

Professor Eggermont was recently appointed Director of the Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France and is the former Head of Surgery at Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. He has a long association with EORTC, having been President, Secretary General, and Chair both of the Clinical Research Report Division and the Melanoma Group. He was also President of ECCO (2007 - 2009), and is the current President of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences.

Professor Eggermont will be supported by a full team of Editors who will provide their expertise on experimental oncology, drug development, specific tumour-types, paediatric oncology, and epidemiology and prevention. We look forward to announcing the team in the coming months.

He said, “We need articles of importance from all disciplines, which allow us to give a broad view of the field. We want to promote awareness and discussion of the big issues in cancer today and to inform policy. Clinical life is becoming highly specialised, but oncology is a big societal problem and we need to put specific research findings into perspective. EJC has the task – not only of publishing good research from individual fields – but of integrating them and taking a global view of the major issues. We need to make sense of the vast amount of information coming from the various specialties.’’

Professor Eggermont discusses his vision for the future of the journal in a short interview with EJC publisher, Sarah Jenkins.

European Medicines Agency

2010-10-07

The European Medicines Agency has published a Concept paper on the need to revise the guideline on the evaluation of anticancer medicinal products in man.

The concept paper underlines the fact that about one third of new chemical or biological entities under clinical development are aimed for the treatment of malignancies. This both reflects the need for improved treatment and a deeper understanding of the biology of tumours. The diversity of mechanistically different treatment modalities may need a more judicious approach with respect to inclusion criteria and end points for exploratory as well as confirmatory studies. Thus, in addition to the aim to harmonise the main guideline and its appendices, it is foreseen that an update is needed on certain specific topics related to drug development in this therapeutic area.

The concept paper is available for consultation on the following webpage:

http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/ Scientific_guideline/2010/09/WC500096730.pdf

Comments should be provided using this template:
http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/ Templates_and_Form/2009/10/WC500004016.doc.

The completed comments form should be sent to Margaux.Philippe@ema.europa.eu.

Please note that the deadline for comments is 1 January 2011.

Information on the new NCRI Guidelines for the Welfare and Use of Animals in Cancer Research

2010-06-04

The welfare of animals is very important for scientific as well ethical and legal reasons. Various general guidance is available for those involved in animal research and welfare. Under the earlier sponsorship of the former United Kingdom Coordinating Committee for Cancer Research (UKCCCR), two sets of Guidelines have been published previously, in 1988 and 1998, that are specifically concerned with the use of animals in cancer research. Those Guidelines were well received are still widely used and cited by experimental scientists, as well as being used on a day to day basis by animal technicians, veterinary surgeons, Home Office inspectors, grant awarding bodies such as Cancer Research UK, and many various learned journals that advocate their use.

There was a strong feeling in the cancer research community that the Guidelines needed to be updated. Since the UKCCCR no longer exists, the new Guidelines for the Welfare and Use of Animals in Cancer Research have been produced by an expert Committee under the auspices of the UK's National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI). As with the previous Guidelines the Committee was chaired by Professor Paul Workman.

The following paragraphs provide some detailed information on the new Guidelines.

There is general support for the view that it is important that the welfare of animals in cancer research is protected, both from an ethical point of view and also because it is widely acknowledged to be entirely consistent with good science. Under the earlier sponsorship of the former United Kingdom Coordinating Committee for Cancer Research (UKCCCR), two sets of Guidelines have been published previously. These Guidelines were well received, and are still widely used and cited, but it is now over 10 years since they were last revised, in which time the science has moved on appreciably. The aim was to provide new, up-to-date Guidelines for the cancer research community, and others concerned with animal welfare, concerning the use of experimental animals in oncology research, with a major emphasis on the animal welfare. The focus is on rodents as these are the species predominantly used for cancer research. The new Guidelines apply to studies on all aspects of cancer research in animals, including experiments aimed at understanding fundamental cancer biology as well more translational work, and are intended to be used in conjunction with more general guidelines for the care and welfare of animals.

The new Guidelines are designed to update and enhance the second edition produced in 1998. Information is provided on the more complex, molecularly defined and biologically relevant models now available, including genetically engineered, orthotopic and metastatic tumour systems. The importance of molecular characterisation is stressed. Many of the more 'patient-like' models require sophisticated methods of evaluation; hence a detailed section on the different imaging modalities that are now used has been added. Boxes provide information on the 3Rs; on implementation and monitoring of best practice guidance; on experimental study design; on data analysis; and on clinical signs necessitating immediate intervention. Tables provide examples of various tumour models; information on the administration of test agents; and information on imaging techniques. Figures provide an illustrative aid that can be used to facilitate the rational choice of appropriate models in a particular study; give an example of a biological assay cascade used in drug discovery research; describe examples of technologies used for monitoring the effects of therapy; and offer examples of in vivo imaging modalities. The text provides detailed discussion of tumour models, along with experimental design and procedures, and specific examples are provided throughout. However, it is emphasised that these examples are intended to act as a guide only, and each study should be tailored to the specific experimental objectives.

There is renewed emphasis on continuing applications of the 3Rs - replacement (of animals with alternative methods), reduction (in the numbers of animals used to achieve scientific objectives) and refinement (in experimental design, techniques and husbandry to minimise adverse effects and improve welfare). There is an expectation that the highest animal welfare standards will be demanded from grant-awarding bodies and scientific journals. It is also emphasised that there is a responsibility for researchers to publish improved models and methodology for the benefit of the research community worldwide. A comprehensive bibliography is included to cover all of the principal topics and links to other on-line resources are also provided. It is to be stressed that animal welfare considerations are not only important for ethical and legal reasons, but also should be fully consistent with the highest standards of scientific investigation. It is anticipated that the appropriate use of animal models will make an important contribution to increasing further our fundamental understanding of cancer and will enhance our growing ability to diagnose, treat and prevent it.

The public has an interest in animal welfare and for this reason a lay summary is provided in the Guidelines.

Compared to the earlier versions published in 1988 and 1998, the new version provides a major modernization and enhancement of the Guidelines. They are also much more comprehensive and should be even more useful to the cancer research community because of the greater detail of the content.

The Guidelines are intended to be international in scope and the NCRI has expert membership from abroad as well as the UK. In addition, both academia and industry are represented on the Committee and members and observers represent those involved in various different aspects of involvement with animals in cancer research.

Please help to promote these by citing the Guidelines in papers with in vivo data and by recommending the Guidelines to others.

With many thanks for your support

Professor Paul Workman BSc PhD DSc (Hon) FSB FMedSci

Chair, An ad hoc committee of the UK National Cancer Research Institute on Guidelines for the Welfare and Use of Animals in Cancer Research

Reference:

Guidelines for the welfare and use of animals in cancer research.

Workman P, Aboagye EO, Balkwill F, Balmain A, Bruder G, Chaplin DJ, Double JA, Everitt J, Farningham DA, Glennie MJ, Kelland LR, Robinson V, Stratford IJ, Tozer GM, Watson S, Wedge SR, Eccles SA; Committee of the National Cancer Research Institute. Observers: Navaratnam V, Ryder S.

Br J Cancer. 2010 May 25;102(11):1555-77

Link to the journal issue: http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v102/n11/index.html

EACR-21 Closing Ceremony Video Highlights

2010-06-02

EACR-21 Closing Ceremony Video Highlights

EACR-21: Participants praise quality of the Scientific Programme in Feedback Survey

Overall judgements on EACR-21

More than three quarters of participants considered the conference overall to be either ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’. The conference achieved a 99% satisfaction rating.

The quality of education provided at EACR-21 was rated as ‘Very Good or Excellent’ by 77% of respondents, this was again in the context of a 99% Satisfaction rating.

A selection from the ‘Highlights’ comment bank

The Science:

A great scientific programme --- Superb coverage of all aspects of cancer stem cell research, metabolism, hypoxia, microenvironment etc --- Great organization and lots of great lectures --- Plenary Lectures above all were very interesting and the choice of speakers was excellent --- Very high quality lectures and more particularly plenary lectures, good topic choice --- Award speakers were very good --- Great interaction opportunities among different scholarships --- Great opportunity to discuss and share ideas --- I think that the scientific aspects treated in the plenary lectures were of high impact and helped me to highlight the most important aspect in cancer research at the moment --- Really nice for basic translational research, in lectures/symposia but also during the poster sessions --- The whole scientific program was very good --- The Plenary sessions were magnificent, organization was professional --- I found the educational lectures and the meet the expert lectures a very good idea and really useful --- Great plenary lectures! As a whole, good outline of interesting topics in current cancer research --- The plenary lectures and symposia were excellent --- Very good and well-selected speakers as well as post-presentation discussions --- The meeting covered a great diversity of topics related to cancer research. I think that this was excellent! --- I really enjoyed the conference programme for its variety and depths of themes ---Excellent programme and very good organisation --- The career workshops I attended were very useful.

And the Social Aspects:

Opening ceremony at the Opera with a brave top seminar --- The opera! When else do underpaid, overworked scientists with little kids get into the opera? Good food and wine there as well! --- Thoroughly enjoyed the awards reception as it was a little smaller so you could really talk to people. I was also very impressed with the reception at City Hall --- The opening ceremony at Opera House for the talk, the venue and the singer --- In my own opinion they were just EXCELLENT. Really, this was a great opportunity to discuss and meet many other people, completely exceptional compared to other international congresses I attended before --- All the evening receptions were very pleasant. I personally enjoyed most the reception after EACR members gathering. A great time to approach the speakers in a small crowd --- All the social aspects were excellent, especially the conference dinner --- The awards ceremony was very nice and also the light refreshment after the ceremony gave the opportunity to chat with different people in a more familiar way --- Opening ceremony in the opera house, due to fantastic music, friendly hosts and breathtaking setting --- Opening lecture and ceremony were particularly enjoyable - nice concept for the ceremony and an extraordinary place --- The conference dinner: venue was great, the food also, and the atmosphere was very nice! --- All the social events were lovely!! It's difficult to find the best one...probably the Opening ceremony at the Oslo Opera House --- Making new friends.

e-news bulletin, SPAM filters and Junk Mail

2010-05-21

All EACR Members should receive our regular e-news bulletin to the email address we hold on your record. This is sent approximately twice a month and includes information about upcoming meetings, job and study opportunities, offers from our sponsors and sustaining members and projects the EACR is involved in.

Email communication is the quickest, easiest and most reliable way for us to contact and engage all EACR Members. It is vitally important that we are able to provide a professional informative service to you and to ensure we are able to get feedback from you to meet your needs and further improve the EACR.

If you no longer receive this bulletin, or have never received one, it is most likely that either the email address we have on our records is no longer accurate or your institute/place of work/email provider has a SPAM/junk filter that is not letting our bulletins through. We use a company called Constant Contact to send information to you. The email address the e-news bulletin is sent from is kathryn@eacr.ccsend.com – please add this to your safe list. Alternatively please contact us with a new or alternative email address and we will update your record for you.

Members’ Area

Your Username/Membership Number are the same (in the format EACRnnnn or EACRnnnnn). The number is sent to you when you first become a member of the EACR.

You also have a password. You can request a new password by clicking the ‘Click here if you've forgotten your password’ link in the log in box (http://www.eacr.org/).

Log on to the members area of our website www.eacr.org and check that the address and contact details we hold for you are accurate. You can also change your password to something more memorable to you as well as tell us of your research areas and add a personal profile to our searchable members' directory.

Please help us to improve the member benefits and services we provide to you by ensuring your contact details are up to date.

With best wishes,

Andrew Binns
EACR Administrator: Member Services

2010 EACR Award winners announced

2010-03-24

The 2010 EACR Cancer Researcher Award

We are delighted to announce the winner of the EACR Cancer Researcher Award 2010: Professor Kevin Ryan, Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow, UK. Kevin will be giving his award lecture on Sunday 27 June at the biannual meeting of the European Association for Cancer Research, EACR-21 in Oslo, Norway.

A report will appear on the website and in the EACR’s official Journal, The European Journal of Cancer (EJC) in the coming months.

We would like to congratulate our "Highly Commended" Award Winner: Associate Professor Dr Pierre Sonveaux from the University of Louvain, Brussels.

The 2010 Mike Price Fellowship Award

We are delighted to announce the winner of the 2010 Mike Price Fellowship Award: Dr Gerben Borst, Department of Radiation Oncology, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Name of Institution where research is to be conducted:
The Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Cancer Hospital, London. Section of Cancer Therapeutics (including the Cancer Research UK Centre for Cancer Therapeutics and Section of Cell and Molecular Biology Research)

Goal of the study:
This in vitro study will study radiosensitization by Chk1 inhibition and explore the possible mechanisms.

A report of the study will appear in the 2011 edition of the EACR Year Book.

Swiss Bridge Award 2010

2010-03-03

Supporting high-quality cancer research projects in Europe

Swiss Bridge is a private foundation associated with the Swiss Cancer League and the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), and supports high-quality cancer research in Europe (www.swissbridge.ch). In order to assist junior scientists in the initiation of their independent careers in cancer research, projects from junior investigators* focusing on translational research, i.e. cancer research projects with an impact on clinical practice will be eligible for support. However, grants for clinical trials are beyond the scope of this year’s Swiss Bridge Award.

Junior investigators from academic and cancer research institutions in Europe are invited to submit a note of intent for a new cancer research project on or before March 31st, 2010. The proposals will be screened by an international scientific board. The principal investigators of a shortlist of between 6 and 8 projects will then be invited to submit (by email) a detailed research application by the end of July 2010. Upon peer review and recommendation from the scientific board, up to 3 projects will receive funding amounting to a total support of 500,000 Swiss Francs. The Donors have earmarked at least 50 percent of the funds for Swiss projects.

The note of intent should be no longer than 6 pages (3,000 words) and should include:

the title of the project
the name, address and affiliation of the principal investigator
a support letter from their employer
the name(s), address(es) and affiliation(s) of the co-applicant(s)
the project period (max. 3 years)
the amount of financial support requested
a summary of the project (1-2 pages)
a list of up to 12 publications by the principal investigator
a statement regarding the relevance and potential contribution of the project to cancer control (1-2 pages) and
a statement demonstrating how the project will add value by bringing basic research and clinical applications together. (1-2 pages)

The note of intent must be transmitted by e-mail on or before March 31st, 2010 to:
swissbridge@swisscancer.ch

Office of the Scientific Board of the Swiss Bridge Foundation
c/o Swiss Cancer League, P.O. Box 8219, CH-3001 Bern, Switzerland.

The European Medicines Agency Road Map to 2015: the Agency's contribution to Science, Medicines, Health

2010-02-05

Building on the progress of its previous five-year strategy, the Road Map to 2015 charts the way forward for the Agency amid rapid developments in medical science and pharmaceutical research, as well as the continuing evolution of the European and international regulatory environments.

With this strategy paper to guide it, the Agency will seek to consolidate its achievements to date and further strengthen its role as a guardian of human and animal health in the European Union.

The document is available on the following webpage:

http://www.ema.europa.eu/pdfs/general/direct/directory/29989509en.pdf

Please provide any comments that you may have on this document to roadmap@ema.europa.eu, by using this template:

http://www.ema.europa.eu/pdfs/general/direct/directory/comments_roadmap2015.doc

Please note that the deadline for submitting comments is 30th of April 2010.

New Online Portal For Cancer Researchers Unveiled - ONIX

2009-07-30

THE National Cancer Research Institute’s free online cancer research portal, ONIX, was launched to the public on the 17th July.

ONIX (ONcology Information eXchange) enables scientists and clinicians to search through and access international research data held online – to improve the flow of cancer research information between individuals, institutions and organisations.

The portal (http://www.ncri-onix.org.uk/) is free-to-use and uses powerful search technology – which significantly reduces the time it currently takes for scientists and clinicians to find cancer-related data and information across the spectrum of research from genomics to clinical trials. This reduces duplication of research effort across the globe and makes it easier for researchers to collaborate on similar studies. It will speed up the development of new therapies, and could potentially improve prognosis and diagnosis.
It provides a unique integrated research environment online - the gateway to cancer research.

Scientists and clinicians can simultaneously search through multiple cancer-related databases, and track the latest developments in the field - what research is being carried out by which researchers - and where. Most importantly, when users carry out a search on ONIX, they receive the search results in a clear usable format.

The demand for a system such as ONIX is greater than ever. In the last 10 years the amount of health-related data available in electronic format has ballooned due to the vast volumes of data generated by modern molecular research techniques.

The scale of this data and the fact that – to date - it has been stored in many different formats and locations has meant that it is almost impossible for individual researchers to use this information effectively.

Professor Sir Alex Markham, who has been leading the development of ONIX, on behalf of NCRI, said: “ONIX represents a major advance for cancer research in the UK. I urge all cancer researchers, whether basic scientists, clinical researchers or pre-clinical medical students, to register with ONIX, explore the system in depth and continue to use it over the coming months and years.

“Researchers can use it to pull out specific, relevant data from the haystack of information out there – really saving them valuable time. As a result researchers will be better connected with the latest projects, data and updates from institutions in the field of cancer. What you see now is just the beginning – the system will eventually become a one-stop resource for online cancer research.”

ONIX will be further refined - driven by user feedback. The NCRI will continue to develop the system – by adding more content, including databases, information about cancer-related organisations and resources. And improved functionality of ONIX will enable researchers to do more with these resources and information.

An ‘Intelligent’ search feature is being developed which interprets the language used in search terms - called semantic searching. This enables researchers to find highly specific cancer-related information whilst eliminating irrelevant search results.

The NCRI Informatics project is collaborating with a number of UK projects including the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN) and the NHS Connecting for Health Research Capability Programme (RCP). The collaboration will allow researchers to access electronic summaries of the data held by these organisations in a secure way – and with appropriate authorisation researchers will be able to access and retrieve protected data.

Professor Sir Kenneth Calman, chair of the NCRI, said: “The NCRI partners are pleased to support the launch and continued development of ONIX. The role of ONIX in connecting resources and information, and streamlining research supports the key principles of high-level coordination that the NCRI aims to achieve. I am optimistic that ONIX will provide a research tool of significant benefit to both cancer researchers and cancer patients alike”.

For more information about ONIX visit: www.cancerinformatics.org.uk.

BACR / EACR Summer Symposia: Award Winners

2009-07-30

Chromatin and Cancer 6 – 8 July 2009 & Transcription and Cancer 8 – 10 July 2009

BACR and EACR are pleased to announce the Winners of the following awards made during the above Symposia:

EACR Cancer Researcher Awards sponsored by Active Motif, Cell Press, Nucleic Acids Research, Oncology News and Wiley-Blackwell

EJC Poster Prizes

EACR Meeting Bursary Awards

BACR Hamilton-Fairley Award

Please click here to see the award winners in full

Lung Cancer Research Program Funding Opportunity (LCRP)

2009-07-30

The Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) will support innovative and competitive research focused on the development of integrated components to identify, treat, and manage early curable lung cancer, and the establishment of a tissue bank.

The LCRP is interested in research proposals that address the following Areas of Emphasis:

Identification or development of non-invasive or minimally invasive tools to improve the detection of the initial stages of lung cancer.
Identification and development of tools for screening or early detection of lung cancer. Screening may include, but is not limited to, computed tomography scans, X-rays, other imaging, biomarkers, genetics/genomics/proteomics, and assessment of risk factors.
Understanding the molecular mechanisms that lead to clinically significant lung cancer.
Identification of the mechanisms that lead to the development of the various types of lung cancer.
Identification of innovative strategies for prevention and treatment of early lung cancer.
Understanding predictive and prognostic markers to identify responders and non-responders.
Understanding acquired resistance to treatment.

The FY09 LCRP is pleased to announce the release of the Concept Award. The Program Announcement/Funding Opportunity, including the intent of the award mechanism, eligibility, and submission deadlines and Application Instructions and General Information have been posted on the Grants.gov (http://grants.gov) and CDMRP (http://cdmrp.army.mil) websites. Pre-applications submitted though CDMRP eReceipt System are REQUIRED for all LCRP award mechanisms. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. Click here for latest information https://cdmrp.org/Program_Announcements_and_Forms/.

4 additional awards will be available from the LCRP and are anticipated to be posted on the Grants.gov and CDMRP websites in late July or early August 2009.

Individuals, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, or citizenship status, may apply as long as they are employed by, or affiliated with, an eligible institution and meet the specific Program Announcement/Funding Opportunity requirements. Eligible Institutions: The USAMRMC makes awards to institutions; eligible institutions include for-profit, nonprofit, public, and private organizations, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, and companies.

Lung Cancer Research Program, Concept Award. Funding Opportunity Number: W81XWH-09-LCRP-CA. Closing date is 3rd September 2009, Pre-application Submission Deadline is August 20.

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

2008-12-03

Hannah Brown

Europe needs to be better organised. That is the now-unanimous conclusion of the continent's cancer community, after years of debate about possible ways to tackle bottlenecks and barriers in research. A process of review and analysis of the situation in Europe, begun in 2004 by then-EU Commissioner for Research Philippe Busquin, has provided a concrete proposal to focus the frustration shared by all. But to move this plan forward and smooth the flow of new treatments and diagnostics from laboratories to patient care, scientists are having to learn some political lessons.

The movement now absorbing the cancer-research community started with a project funded out of Europe's last framework programme—the main mechanism through which EU centrally held research monies are distributed—to identify the barriers hindering cancer-research advances. Dubbed the EUROCAN + Plus project, the 4-year-long analysis, which published its final report this year (EurocanPlus, 2008), considered all aspects of research funding, organisation, infrastructure, and coordination in Europe. “The main outcome of which,” explains EUROCAN participant and Molecular Oncology editor-in-chief, Julio Celis*, “has been to structure the cancer community in a way that hasn't been done before.”

However, it took a determined group of cancer research professionals representing 16 of the largest and most successful cancer centres in Europe, to come up with a solution to EUROCAN's many grievances. Outlined in a document labelled The Stockholm Declaration (Ringborg, 2008), these 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. The platform is expected to support the cancer “dream teams” of the future.

To read the full article which appeared in Molecular Oncology please click here.

*Julio Celis is EACR President Elect

EACR offers its congratulations to Professor Harald zur Hausen, a winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Medicine

2008-10-13

The European Association for Cancer Research is delighted to offer its congratulations to Professor Harald zur Hausen, a winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Medicine.

The prize to Harald zur Hausen, for discovering in the 1970s that human papilloma virus (HPV) causes cervical cancer, has received widespread acclaim. Prof zur Hausen disproved the common view of oncologists at the time that viruses did not play a significant role in cancer. His discovery had a huge influence on the way scientists view the early development of tumours and his research led to vaccines that protect young women against cervical cancer by preventing infection with HPV.

Professor zur Hausen’s membership of EACR stretches back to the earliest days of the Association.

Please follow this link to the Nobel Prize web site for further information and to listen to an interview with Professor zur Hausen.

EACR-20 Conference highly valued by participants

2008-10-06

EACR-20 was the Association’s best attended conference to date and more than 20% of the participants provided the planning committees with feedback using an online questionnaire.

The Overall Judgement

83% of participants (excluding students) considered the conference overall to be either Very Good (71%) or Excellent (25%), only 2 respondents felt the conference was less than satisfactory.

96% of student participants thought the conference overall was Very Good (71%) or Excellent (25%)

This high level of appreciation for the conference was also reflected in the number of respondents hoping to participate at EACR-21: 85% (80% students), and the strong interest in the 2009 EACR programme of focused meetings: Chromatin & Cancer, Transcription & Cancer and Inflammation & Cancer.

Highlights and Strengths

Respondents were asked to indicate a particular highlight or strength of the conference.

The Scientific Programme received strong praise. Participants appreciated the focus on recent developments and commented positively on the scope, relevance, range, diversity, breadth and balance of the programme.

Generous appreciation was also expressed for the invited speakers, the quality of their presentations and the accessibility of the talks. Particular mention was made of the contributions to the conference from Keynote speakers and of the Plenary sessions.

EACR members wishing to read a fuller summary and to access the ‘Comment Banks’ on ‘Highlights and strengths of the conference’ and ‘Important things that could improve the EACR conference in the future’

Prize Winner

Thank you to all participating in the EACR-20 Participants’ Survey.

Ms Olga Roegelsperger of the Department of Cellular Pathophysiology, Medical University of Vienna and EACR Student Member, has won the Prize Draw for a 12 month print and online subscription to the Cell Press Journal of her choice.

We wish to thank Cell Press for their kind sponsorship of the EACR Participants’ Survey.

Award for excellent research to EACR President Anne-Lise Børresen-Dale

2008-09-30

From the ceremony: Anne-Lise Børresen-Dale receives the prize from the Norwegian Minister of Education and Research Tora Aasland. Photo: Arne Langleite

Anne-Lise Børresen-Dale from the Department of Genetics 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 - during the celebration that took place in the Oslo Konserthus

Translation of the jury statement:

"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 (EACR). 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 Cance.

Keep contact details up to date to receive regular EACR news by e-mail and air-mail

2007-11-06

As most members are aware, the benefits of EACR membership include advance information via our regular e-News bulletins of meetings, job/study opportunities, publications and offers. As an EACR member you also receive the Association’s Year Book in April each year by mail.

If you are not receiving the e-news bulletin and/or Year Book (or even information relating to membership fees), then we are sure that it is because your personal details are not up to date on our system.

To update your personal details please log on to the Members' Area of the website and click "Manage my details". Please review the accuracy of your preferred e-mail address with great care as the information links automatically to our data base.

If you have not logged onto the Members' Area before, you need to know your 'username': (it is your membership number) eacr # # # # #, and your password.

Use the link in the ‘Members' Log in’ box if you have forgotten your password and need another one. You need to type in the email address we have on record for you and this will send a new password straight to your email address. If you have any problems please click here and use the contact form to get in touch with us.

Keeping your personal details up to date will ensure that you receive the best possible service from your Association.

Thank you very much for your help.

EACR News

EJCMO: Clinical Debate Series: Emerging Evidence in Treating Patients with Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL)

European Council for Health Research (EuCHR): Concept Paper produced

European Council for Health Research (EuCHR) Concept Paper: Your Opinion Counts

WCRF International Request for Application (RFA) Programme

Seve Ballesteros Foundation Symposium on Brain Cancer: Pre-Congress Symposia EACR-22, Barcelona

41st Léopold Griffuel Award - Nominations now open

Gender in Science: Please support action by signing the manifesto

EJCMO.tv resources from ASH 2011 and the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS)

PRESS RELEASE: Springer launches interdisciplinary open access journal SpringerPlus

Launch of TRANSCAN First Joint Transnational Call for Proposals

Cooperation and coordination in European cancer research: EACR views

BACR/AstraZeneca Young Scientist Frank Rose Award: Dr Dimitry Pshezhetskiy

Calls for a European Council for Health Research, 01 December 2011

EJC Launches iPad App

EJC: Pick of the Papers – Seven Key Papers for our Readers to Download

MedImmune Announces Winners of European Cancer Research Abstract Competition

2nd EACR-OECI Joint Training Course 'Molecular Pathology approach to cancer'

The Pezcoller Foundation – EACR Cancer Researcher Award (lecture)

Cancer Research UK's Research Travel Award: Deadline 30th November

On the Horizon: Europe's next round of science funding, Molecular Oncology XXX (2011_ 1-4)

Skin cancer expert to lead Manchester's Paterson Institute

Call for Abstracts in Oncology: Tumor Microenvironment

Julio Celis: bridging science and politics

Coming Soon! EJC to Launch iPad App at ECCO

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF NURSES IN CANCER CARE (ISNCC) 2012 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

ISNCC Board of Directors and Executive Committee Nominations

ISNCC Awards Nominations

Oncopolicy Forum 2011: Health Inequalities, 26-27 September 2011, Stockholm, Sweden

Informa Healthcare offers 20% discount for EACR Members

EACR is pleased to announce the launch of ecancerHub.eu

EMA Consultation: Reflection paper on methodological issues associated with pharmacogenomic biomarkers in relation to clinical development and patient selection

European Journal of Cancer (EJC) goes digital - View the July 2011 edition

The Victorian Branch of the Australian Epigenetic Alliance (www.epialliance.org.au) invites you to a one-day scientific meeting

The Eleventh International Conference on Progress in Vaccination Against Cancer (PIVAC-11), 10th –13th October 2011, Copenhagen, Denmark

World Cancer Research Fund International: Grant Applications Announcement

Grant Applications Announcement Closing date for outline applications is October 11th 2011 Further details available from www.wcrf.org/apply

Preview of the EACR-22 Advance Scientific Programme: EACR-22 'From Basic Research to Personalised Cancer Treatment'

Preview of the EACR-22 Advance Scientific Programme

EACR-22 'From Basic Research to Personalised Cancer Treatment'

EACR Meeting: Cell Death in Cancer, 26th - 28th January 2012, Amsterdam

Cancer Research UK’s new investigator awards

Press Release: Lung cancer expert wins lifetime achievement award

Vall d´Hebron Institute of Oncology´s (VHIO) translational research model: an interview with Joan Seoane

EMA's second stakeholder forum on the implementation of the new 2010 pharmacovigilance legislation

ECCO President's Interview with European Journal of Cancer on Biomed Alliance

PREDECT: a powerful new European Consortium addressing novel laboratory models for cancer target validation

CRUK Research Bursaries for clinicians and professions allied to Medicine

The GE & Science Prize for Young Life Scientists

TRAIN announces the launch of the first call in the postdoc programme for internationalisation with support from the Marie Curie COFUND action

Apply now for a Breast Cancer Campaign project grant or PhD studentship

Oxford University Press is pleased to invite nominations for the seventh biennial Carcinogenesis Awards

Cancer Research UK’s Research Travel Award - Latest Awardees

Cancer Research UK’s Research Travel Award - Next application deadline is the 30th June 2011

nhsnetworks: Sexual Rehabilitation after Cancer

2011 GSK Oncology Ethnic Research Initiative (GSK ERI) Research Grant

The ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize

EACR Members invited to express an interest in the Independent Expert Evaluation Panel of Train

New EACR website launched

EACR Council: Election results announced

EACR22: Early Speaker Confirmations

2011 EACR Cancer Researcher Award Lecture

EACR Council: Elections and changes in Council composition

Change in Council Composition – January 2011

Elected Representatives:

‘Open Seats’

Members interested in learning more about the election process or seeking nomination should click here for further information.

Related Links

EACR Council: Nominations are invited for seats on the EACR Council

Nominations are invited for seats on the EACR Council

‘National Network Seats’

‘Open Seats’

Further Information

Support for EACR Council Representatives

Council Meeting Attendance

Related Links

2011 Membership Fees: Increase in Annual Fees

No increase in 'Four Year Membership' offer

Free Student membership

MedImmune Announces Winners of European Cancer Research Abstract Competition

Grant Applications Announcement
Closing date for outline applications is October 11th 2011
Further details available from www.wcrf.org/apply