Political momentum and paediatric oncology

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UK childhood cancer survival falling behind rest of EU?One of the main driving forces behind the initiation of the UK National Cancer Plan was the unfavourable comparison of cancer outcomes between adults in England and adults in parts of mainland Europe. This plan is already beginning to have a major effect on outcome, by centralisation and better organisation of care. Childhood cancer has long been seen as the model for organisation of care, with most children being treated on national protocols and in specialist-care centres since the establishment of the UK Children's Cancer Study Group (UKCCSG; now called the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group) 30 years ago. Full-Text PDF A war of attritionPresident Richard Nixon's declaration of a ‘War on Cancer’ and today's ‘War on Terror’ might seem unlikely compatriots, but both share a common goal: a desire to eradicate a clandestine enemy against humanity. 80 years ago the American population was becoming increasingly worried about the devastating effects of cancer. To tackle this fear, Senator Matthew Neely proposed legislation that would allocate federal resources to cancer research. The bill failed, but several years later after various political machinations, President Franklin Roosevelt signed in to law the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Act, which authorised the NCI to do cancer research; fund studies in the USA and elsewhere; and train professionals in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Full-Text PDF