title: Alliance Against Cancer, the network of Italian cancer centers bridging research and care.
abstract: Alliance Against Cancer (ACC) was established in Rome in 2002 as a consortium of six Italian comprehensive cancer centers (Founders). The aims of ACC were to promote a network among Italian oncologic institutions in order to develop specific, advanced projects in clinical and translational research. During the following years, many additional full and associate members joined ACC, that presently includes the National Institute of Health, 17 research-oriented hospitals, scientific and patient organizations. Furthermore, in the last three years ACC underwent a reorganization process that redesigned the structure, governance and major activities. The present goal of ACC is to achieve high standards of care across Italy, to implement and harmonize principles of modern personalized and precision medicine, by developing cost effective processes and to provide tailored information to cancer patients. We herein summarize some of the major initiatives that ACC is currently developing to reach its goal, including tumor genetic screening programs, establishment of clinical trial programs for cancer patients treated in Italian cancer centers, facilitate their access to innovative drugs under development, improve quality through an European accreditation process (European Organization of Cancer Institutes), and develop international partnerships. In conclusion, ACC is a growing organization, trying to respond to the need of networking in Italy and may contribute significantly to improve the way we face cancer in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO), IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy. dirscienti@cro.it.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Paoli
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Fondazione Pascale, IRCCS, Naples, Italy. g.ciliberto@istitutotumori.na.it.
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciliberto
authors.affiliation: Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria San Martino-IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genoa, Italy. manlio.ferrarini@hsanmartino.it.
authors.forename: Manlio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrarini
authors.affiliation: Istituto Europeo di Oncologia (IEO), Milan, Italy. piergiuseppe.pelicci@ieo.eu.
authors.forename: PierGiuseppe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pelicci
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy. dellabona.paolo@hsr.it.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dellabona
authors.affiliation: Associazione Italiana Malati di Cancro (AIMaC), Rome, Italy. fdelorenzo2@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Lorenzo
authors.affiliation: Humanitas University, Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano, MI, Italy. alberto.mantovani@humanitasresearch.it.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mantovani
authors.affiliation: Centro di Riferimento Oncologico della Basilicata (CROB) IRCCS, Rionero in Vulture, PZ, Italy. p.musto@crob.it.
authors.forename: Pellegrino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Musto
authors.affiliation: Istituto Oncologico Veneto, IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy. giuseppe.opocher@ioveneto.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Opocher
authors.affiliation: Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, IRCCS, Bologna, Italy. piero.picci@ior.it.
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Picci
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. presidenza@iss.it.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ricciardi
authors.affiliation: Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy. demariaruggero@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ruggero
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Maria
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D057285:Precision Medicine