NEWS

United States and Ireland Sign Historic Cancer Agreement

In Belfast last month, a historic Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United States — heralding cooperation between the three nations to enhance cancer research and treatment in Ireland. The tripartite agreement was signed at Stormont Parliament Building by (seated from left to right, above) Go Brian Cowen, minister for health and children, Republic of Ireland; George Howarth, minister for health and social services, Northern Ireland; and Richard Klausner, M.D., director of the U.S. National Cancer Institute.



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Ireland has one of the highest incidence and mortality rates for cancer in the Western world, which the trinational collaboration is intended to address. Initial projects will focus on the coordination of tumor registries, the development of informatics to support coordinated clinical trials, and on training and scholarship programs to immerse scientists in the cancer research program of partner institutions.

"We have provided remarkable care in the face of numerous terrorist incidents," noted Northern Ireland chief medical officer, Henrietta Campbell, M.D., at the signing ceremony, part of a 3-day medical conference on cancer. "Now it is time to turn our energies toward another major killer — cancer."

Also participating in the event were (standing from left to right): Edison Liu, M.D., NCI's director of the Division of Clinical Sciences; Campbell; Sen. George Mitchell, former Senate Majority Leader and honorary chancellor, Queen's University, Belfast; Harold Varmus, M.D., director of the National Institutes of Health; James Kiely, M.D., chief medical officer, Republic of Ireland; and Sen. Connie Mack.



             
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