title: History of the rare cancer network and past research.
abstract: Approximately, twenty years ago, the Rare Cancer Network (RCN) was formed in Lausanne, Switzerland, to support the study of rare malignancies. The RCN has grown over the years and now includes 130 investigators from twenty-four nations on six continents. The network held its first international symposium in Nice, France, on March 21-22, 2014. The proceedings of that meeting are presented in two companion papers. This manuscript reviews the history of the growth of the RCN and contains the abstracts of fourteen oral presentations made at the meeting of prior RCN studies. From 1993 to 2014, 74 RCN studies have been initiated, of which 54 were completed, 10 are in progress or under analysis, and 9 were stopped due to poor accrual. Forty-four peer reviewed publications have been written on behalf of the RCN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lausanne Medical Center , Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: René-Olivier
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Mirimanoff
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lausanne Medical Center , Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozsahin
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Centre Lacassagne , Nice, France.
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thariat
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Acibadem University , Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Enis
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozyar
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital , Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schick
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Medstar Antalya Hospital , Antalya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Berrin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pehlivan
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiotherapy, University of Piemonte Orientale , Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krengli
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy Service, Clinica Luganese SA no profit , Lugano, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alessandra Franzetti
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Pellanda
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital , Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Hansjörg
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vees
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center , Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Ospedale S. Anna , Como, Italy.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scandolaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Therapy and Breast Center, Henri Mondor University Hospital, Université Paris Est Créteil (UPEC) , Créteil, France.
authors.forename: Yazid
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Belkacemi
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology, Institut Català d'Oncologia , Badalona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Villà
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Istanbul Bilim University , Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sefik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Igdem
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Ram Bam Medical Center , Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Myroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lutsyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Miller
keywords: Rare Cancer Network; cancer; carcinoma; diseases; rare