@article{d62697a5cd214d53a2bb64109f13e346,
title = "The EORTC Melanoma Group: A comprehensive melanoma research programme by clinicians and scientists",
abstract = "The EORTC Melanoma Group (MG) was founded in 1969 by both clinicians and scientists from various disciplines and fields of research with a common interest in malignant melanoma. This collaborative approach has always been the foundation of the groups strength. With an interest in tumour biology and especially the immunological aspects of the disease, the group has always pursued a scientific approach to treatment development in malignant melanoma. Over the years, the group has performed many clinical trials, epidemiological studies, histopathological studies defining standards and guidelines, translational research regarding prognostic factors and various metastatic and immunological aspects of melanoma, and developed quality assurance programmes for immunological and molecular biological assays in laboratory networks. At present, the EORTC MG runs the worldwide largest clinical trial programme in stages II, III and IV melanoma involving some 140 cancer centres in and outside Europe. Each trial is associated with the appropriate translational research programmes.",
keywords = "Adjuvant therapy, Clinical trial, Epidemiology, Melanoma, Translational research",
author = "Eggermont, \{A. M.M.\} and U. Keilholz and Ph Autier and Ruiter, \{D. J.\} and F. Lehmann and D. Lienard",
note = "Funding Information: Uveal melanoma is a rare disease (6–8 cases per one million in the caucasian population) and trials in such an {\textquoteleft}orphan disease{\textquoteright} should be handled by a network of highly-specialised institutions. This disease is consequently of limited commercial interest to private pharmaceuticals companies, due to the absence of adequate (potential) return of investment for two main reasons: (a) small marketing/commercial target patient population; (b) important financial investments in clinical trials to be conducted in numerous institutions/countries in order to obtain an adequate patient accrual. This is the reason why, within the framework of the EORTC Melanoma Group and in co-operation with the EORTC Ophthalmic Oncology Task Force, a specific programme of clinical research fully devoted to promote pilot studies for new therapeutic developments in uveal melanoma, has been set up recently. Specific quality assurance criteria have been selected both within the Melanoma Group and the Ophthalmic Oncology Task Force networks, to select high quality institutions capable of managing drug and vaccine development in this disease, to collect clinical data in an adequate timeline and to initiate specific translational research projects. This resulted in the creation of a specific network of more than 30 institutions in 10 European countries, which should be able to conduct high quality phase II and phase III studies. Because of a current lack of financial support for this {\textquoteleft}orphan disease{\textquoteright}, this specific programme would not be possible without the full support of the EORTC Board, as the large majority of the clinical studies in the project are non-financed academic studies. 2.9.2 ",
year = "2002",
doi = "10.1016/s0959-8049(01)00468-3",
language = "English",
volume = "38",
pages = "114--119",
journal = "European Journal of Cancer",
issn = "0959-8049",
publisher = "Elsevier Ltd.",
number = "SUPPL. 4",
}