International Consortia and Conferences
Applied Research Program (ARP) staff coordinate and are active in a
number of international consortia. Staff also regularly present research findings at
international conferences. These activities provide a forum for sharing new knowledge and
directly contribute to ARP's mission to understand how and why cancer care and control
activities influence patterns of care and trends in cancer incidence, morbidity, mortality
and survival.
The International Cancer Screening Network (ICSN), which is administered by ARP, is a
voluntary consortium of countries that have active population-based cancer screening
programs. The ICSN is dedicated to collaborative research aimed at identifying and
fostering efficient and effective approaches to cancer control world-wide through
population-based screening efforts.
In 1999, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the US formed the Consortium, whose primary
goal is to enhance the infrastructure for cancer research and cancer care across all of
Ireland. ARP has provided extensive training to clinicians and scientists from Ireland
and Northern Ireland through the Consortium. For example,
ARP staff presented on the policy environment for promoting US fruit and vegetable
consumption and on research and health surveillance activities at the 2004 Ireland Cancer
Consortium on Diet, Physical Activity and Obesity. In 2007, ARP staff presented on health
services research across the cancer continuum at a Consortium conference and convened an
NCI-All Ireland Workshop on Health Economics and Health Policy Research in the Washington,
DC metropolitan area.
The NCI is a co-sponsor of the World Conference on Tobacco OR Health. This triennial
conference is the preeminent international gathering of tobacco researchers and public
health practitioners, with more than 5,000 participants from 173 countries attending. The
14th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health, to be held Feb 8 - 12, 2009 in Mumbai, India, in
conjunction with International Union Against Cancer's
(UICC) World Cancer Congress, will highlight the latest tobacco science research. ARP is
providing funding and technical expertise for conference planning.
ARP was a major sponsor of the Sixth International Conference on Dietary Assessment
Activity Methods (ICDAM) held in Copenhagen, Denmark in April 2006. This conference brings
together researchers from around the world to discuss the latest developments in
nutritional epidemiology and dietary assessment methods. For the first time, the 2006
conference also included the topic of physical activity assessment. ARP sent a
delegation to present at and preside over several sessions at the conference. ARP staff
also were represented on the planning committee for the meeting in Copenhagen and will
host the next conference in the series (now called the International Conference on Diet
and Activity Methods), to be held in Washington, DC, in June 2009.
The International Health Economics Association (IHEA) is a professional association
whose mission is to increase communication among health economists and foster a high
standard of debate in the application of economics to health and health care systems. ARP
staff regularly present research findings at the biennial IHEA meetings, which are held in
locations around the world.
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