title: The rare cancer network: ongoing studies and future strategy.
abstract: The Rare Cancer Network (RCN) was formed in the early 1990's to create a global network that could pool knowledge and resources in the studies of rare malignancies whose infrequency prevented both their study with prospective clinical trials. To date, the RCN has initiated 74 studies resulting in 46 peer reviewed publications. The First International Symposium of the Rare Cancer Network took place in Nice in March of 2014. Status updates and proposals for new studies were heard for fifteen topics. Ongoing studies continue for cardiac sarcomas, thyroid cancers, glomus tumors, and adult medulloblastomas. New proposals were presented at the symposium for primary hepatic lymphoma, solitary fibrous tumors, Rosai-Dorfman disease, tumors of the ampulla of Vater, salivary gland tumors, anorectal melanoma, midline nuclear protein in testes carcinoma, pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma of the trachea, osteosarcomas of the mandible, and extra-cranial hemangiopericytoma. This manuscript presents the abstracts of those proposals and updates on ongoing studies, as well a brief summary of the vision and future of the RCN.
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, University of Lausanne Medical Center , Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: René-Olivier
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Mirimanoff
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, CHRU , Besancon, France.
authors.forename: Xu Shan
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Acibadem University , Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Atalar
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital , Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Yasmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lassen-Ramshad
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Acibadem University , Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gamze
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ugurluer
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiation Oncology, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center , Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hallemeier
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Institut Jules Bordet , Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Paul Van
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Houtte
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiotherapy, University of Piemonte Orientale , Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krengli
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center , Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lan Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Funk
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rooney
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