'Europe is a second-class continent in terms of cancer research funding.... I estimate that 10,000 to 20,000 more lives would be saved each year through better patient care if funding for cancer research was increased.'

Described as a "clarion call to the European Commission," the European Cancer Research Funding Survey identified 139 non-commercial sources of funding in the whole of Europe (including accession, associate and applicant States and the European Free Trade Area).

Among its findings:

• European Member States spend seven times less per person than the USA -- a funding gap far wider than previously thought;

• There is insufficient funding for preventative and clinical research, while funding for basic scientific research is proportionately much higher;

• Europe is weak in its overall support of cancer research, both centrally and at the Member State level;

• More than half of European cancer research is funded by the charitable sector;

• Opportunities exist for greater collaboration and co-operation among funders across Europe and in different research areas.

"The EU is massively behind the USA in its support of non-commercial cancer research," Dr. Richard Sullivan, chair of the European Cancer Research Managers Forum, which conducted the survey, told a news conference at the Royal College of Surgeons in London.

"This gap is a substantial threat to the ability of the EU to translate cancer research into patient benefit. Also threatened is the ability to recruit and retain clinicians and scientists to work in cancer research, as well as the commercial attractiveness of the EU," Dr. Sullivan noted.

"It would appear that the problem lies both with a lack of central EU funding and with inequality between Member States, with many failing to support cancer researchers adequately in their own countries. In the short term, Europe needs to double the amount it spends on cancer research," he advised.

Clarion Call to Increase Funding

Funded by the European Commission, the Survey shows that the US spends five times more per person (pounds 17.63 compared to pounds 3.76), and four times more as a percentage of GDP (0.0578% compared to 0.0163%), on cancer research than the 15 countries that were members of the EU before May 2004.

When US spending is compared to the 25 current EU members, this gap widens to seven times more per person (pounds 17.63 versus pounds 2.56) and four times more as a percentage of GDP.

Spending on cancer research varied widely across Europe in 2002/2003. The UK spent the most (pounds 388 million) while Malta spent nothing. The European Commission contributed around pounds 90 million. When the Survey analyzed the spending as a proportion of GDP, the UK spent the most (0.0267%), followed by Sweden, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

"This is a clarion call to the European Commission to increase funding for cancer research," said Professor Gordon McVie, senior consultant to the European Institute of Oncology in Milan.

"The Survey shows that Europe is a second-class continent in terms of cancer research funding. We know that cancer research leads to better cancer care for the patient, and so it is vital that it is properly funded in Europe. I estimate that 10,000 to 20,000 more lives would be saved each year through better patient care if funding for cancer research was increased," Professor McVie said.

New Treatments and Cures Desperately Needed

The Survey shows that the EU concentrates a large proportion of its spending on basic scientific research at the expense of preventative and clinical research. Biology receives 41% of all cancer research funding, compared with 20% for treatment and just 4% for prevention. In contrast, the US spends 25% on biology, 25% on treatment and 9% on prevention.

"Proportionally, there is insufficient non-commercial funding for clinical research in Europe," said Professor Fran