News Notes

Global Effort Against Cancer

Paul F. Engstrom

Cancer cannot be successfully fought in isolation. In recognition of this, more than 100 international leaders of government, patient advocacy, cancer research organizations, and corporations signed The Charter of Paris Against Cancer at the first World Summit Against Cancer this month. Paul F. Engstrom, senior vice president for population science at the Fox Chase Cancer Center, comments, "I saw more than the usual commitment to put more dollars into science. This represents a commitment to act on a political and social basis to move along [the fight against cancer] and reach out to developing countries." He likened it to President Richard Nixon signing the National Cancer Act in the 1970s, but on a worldwide scale. The summit draws attention to cancer as a global public health problem that will reach epidemic proportions without intervention. The World Health Organization reports that nine...