Fifty years ago, led by President Charles de Gaulle, France set an ambitious goal by proposing the establishment of an international cancer institute under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has, over half a century, shaped the face of cancer research. It has done so through the establishment of cancer registries around the world, through cancer epidemiology research, and through its training programme, which develops and nurtures cancer scientists. IARC has provided the indispensable cancer evidence base for WHO’s public health work.
Fifty years on, IARC has become an essential organization. The membership of its independent governing bodies has grown from the five founding countries to 24, and the number of Participating States continues to grow.
IARC’s activities span a wide range of research fields that inform global decision-making for cancer control.
Within WHO, IARC has a special place, as it is the only WHO body that conducts its own research programme and disseminates its findings to the world. It is internationally recognized for setting the agenda in cancer research and prevention.
I have every confidence that IARC will continue to grow and to help WHO intensify its efforts to decrease the global burden of cancer.
Dr Margaret Chan
Director-General, World Health Organization