Cancer remains a major Public Health problem worldwide with Europe hit hard and the situation set to worsen in absolute terms as the population ages. Around one half of cancer patients still die from their disease. On the other hand, there are currently great expectations that we are on the brink of making huge progress against the disease. Elucidation of the human genome and rapid advances in understanding details of its function allied to rapid progress in technology, gives great hope of rapid advances taking place. The current era offers more real hope than any previous.

Cancer remains the subject of significant research effort at both the European level and in the Member States. Between 2002 and 2006, the European Union will be devoting more than €435 Million to this field of research. This is in addition to national funding in Member States.

An important aim for the Commission is to achieve a better framework for collaboration in cancer research in Europe, and there is a recognition that coordination of national cancer research efforts at the European level is far from being achieved. Among the key elements proposed to explain this situation are the barriers between disciplines and fields of research; the fragmentation of research activities dedicated to the different types of cancer and the resultant sub-optimal critical mass; the weakness of the links between basic, applied and clinical research, leading to a rather limited integration of basic and clinical research; and the implementation of all these activities mainly in a national framework and a national context. As a consequence, Europe is unable to fully benefit from the advantage of scale afforded by its 500 million population.

Europe is at present, and has been for many years, unable to retain many of its most talented scientists and is unable to provide a scientific environment capable of attracting top young scientists from outwith the continent. In addition, there is no national incentive to promote mobility within the Member States. Consequently, the development of transnational research activities is impeded by the obstacles to the mobility of researchers.
A further obstacle is the lack of common core elements in the curriculum of professionals. Common quality standards in training are needed to facilitate the collaboration at European level as well as the mutual recognition of the qualifications between European countries and therefore the mobility of researchers and physicians. The situation is particularly exemplified by the absence of recognition of Oncology as a Medical discipline by many European countries and its variable status in most Member States.

Consequently, although a large amount of financial resources is involved, and a substantial portfolio of initiatives is carried out, cancer research efforts are not currently benefiting from the advantages that a coherent and more coordinated framework would bring about.