Launch of second European Cancer Research Fund...( Brussels: The second European survey...),Health

Brussels: The second European survey [1] analysing how cancer research is funded shows that contrary to public perception Europe is a major contributor to the global cancer research effort.

Prof Richard Sullivan, chair of the European Cancer Research Managers Forum (ECRM), launched the organisations second survey, which looks at the overall 3.2 billion cancer research spend for 2004, at the European Parliament today (Tuesday 18 September).

Contrary to public perception, a phenomenal amount of cancer research is carried out in Europe, evidenced by the huge amount of cancer research papers being published here, said Prof Sullivan. This is important, as many policy makers assume the global funding for cancer research is overwhelmingly concentrated in the USA. Our data indicate that this is not true and the effort is a truly global one. The possibilities for fruitful partnerships not only exist, but should be the basis for future long-term policy. We should not fail next generations in losing this opportunity.

He stressed that with over 100 major funders in both Europe and the USA, who each spend more than 1 million a year on cancer research, as well as a number of important representational bodies, there has never been such a golden opportunity for a more co-operative approach in the field, particularly towards the funding of trans-national research programmes.

Prof Sullivan added that whilst global levels of cancer research expenditure on cancer research as a percentage of GDP continue to show differences between the USA and Europe, this gap has substantially narrowed.

A major part of this survey has been its ability to estimate the cancer research funding flowing through national healthcare and university systems in Europe, but there has also been a real increase in some Member State funding whilst the USA shrinks in real terms.

However Prof Sullivan made an urgent plea for less bureaucracy which he s
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