EU commissioner calls for united cancer effort

A European cancer research area is needed to cut the fragmentation and duplication of effort among European Union member states, said research commissioner Philippe Busquin.

A conference of European scientists, governments, patient organisations and industry this month called for a European strategy for cancer research. It said multinational clinical trials were crucial. The Framework 6 programme promises more than €400 million (£251 million) for cancer research over four years.