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Health Scan: Israeli cancer research 'spectacular'  

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) - founded in 1907 by 11 physicians and scientists interested in the then-rarely encountered disorder - now has 30,000 members around the world. A total of 380 researchers (half foreign and the rest Israeli) attended a four-day conference in Jerusalem.

The AACR's mission is to prevent and cure cancer through research, education, communication, the rapid dissemination of new findings, expanding the understanding of cancer etiology, diagnosis and treatment. It also helps produce a critical mass of young cancer researchers for the future workforce.

The association (www.aacr.org) publishes six peer-reviewed journals related to oncology, and holds conferences such as that held at the capital's Inbal Hotel with help from the Israel Cancer Association. Chief executive officer Margaret Foti says "great science was presented at the meeting, and interactions and collaborations resulted. We plan to meet here again in the fall of 2011." Two organizers of the Jerusalem event were Prof. Gideon Rehavi from Sheba Medical Center and the Weizmann Institute's Prof. Moshe Oren, an Israel Prize laureate.

She noted that the AACR - which raises funds from US government grants, foundations, advocacy groups, industry and membership fees - does not accept money from the tobacco industry and always checks beforehand if the hotels where it holds meetings have a financial interest in tobacco.

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