History Timeline

Over the years, EORTC’s clinical research has helped make significant progress in the treatment and management of cancer, evaluating new molecules, refining existing treatment regimens, identifying biomarkers and assessing patients’ quality of life.

Many of our 1600+ studies in the past 60 years have resulted in practice-changing treatments and the establishment of new standards of care, or shown that others are ineffective or redundant.

  1. 1962
  2. 1965
  3. 1968
  4. 1969
  5. 1972
  6. 1974
  7. 1975
  8. 1976
  9. 1979
  10. 1981
  11. 1985
  12. 1988
  13. 1991
  14. 1992
  15. 1993
  16. 1994
  17. 1995
  18. 1996
  19. 1997
  20. 2000
  21. 2003
  22. 2005
  23. 2006
  24. 2007
  25. 2008
  26. 2009
  27. 2010
  28. 2012
  29. 2014
  30. 2015
  31. 2016
  32. 2017
  33. 2022

  1. Georges Mathé (President: 1962 -1965)

    Villejuif - France

    1962

    Founded as an international organisation under Belgian law as Groupe Européen de Chimiothérapie Anticancéreuse (GECA)

  2. Silvio Garattini (President: 1965-1968)

    Milan - Italy

    1965

    Launched European Journal of Cancer, an international multidisciplinary oncology journal, together with the European CanCer Organisation (ECCO), the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) and the European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists (EUSOMA)

  3. Silvio Garattini (President: 1965-1968)

    Milan - Italy

    1968

    Changed its name to European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)

  4. D. Willem van Bekkum (President: 1969-1975)

    Rijswijk - Netherlands

  5. D. Willem van Bekkum (President: 1969-1975)

    Rijswijk - Netherlands

    1972

    Opened the NCI liaison office within the EORTC premises

  6. D. Willem van Bekkum (President: 1969-1975)

    Rijswijk - Netherlands

    1974

    Established the EORTC Data Center (today EORTC headquarters) to provide methodological and coordinating services by clinical research specialists to EORTC groups

  7. Henri Tagnon (President: 1975-1978)

    Brussels - Belgium

  8. Henri Tagnon (President: 1975-1978)

    Brussels - Belgium

    1976

    Created EORTC Foundation (today EORTC Cancer Research Fund)

  9. Lazlo George Latja (President: 1979-1981)

    Manchester - United Kingdom

  10. Carl Gottfried Schmidt (President: 1981-1984)

    Essen - Germany

  11. Umberto Veronesi (President: 1985-1988)

    Milan - Italy

  12. Louis Denis (President: 1988-1991)

    Antwerp - Belgium

  13. Emmanuel Van der Schueren (President: 1991-1994)

    Leuven - Belgium

    1991

    Prof. Françoise Meunier appointed Director at the EORTC Headquarter

  14. Royal decree under Belgium law allowing EORTC Fellowship Programme

  15. Emmanuel Van der Schueren (President: 1991-1994)

    Leuven - Belgium

    1993

    Created the Quality of Life department at EORTC, and introduction of EORTC QLQ-C30, the first validated general cancer Quality of Life questionnaire for cancer patients. In our experience, measurement system is now the most frequently-used QoL questionnaire in cancer clinical trials worldwide

  16. Gordon McVie (President: 1994-1997)

    London - United Kingdom

  17. Gordon McVie (President: 1994-1997)

    London - United Kingdom

    1995

    Prof Françoise Meunier appointed first EORTC Director General

  18. Gordon McVie (President: 1994-1997)

    London - United Kingdom

    1996

    Created the Regulatory department

  19. Jean-Claude Horiot (President: 1997-2000)

    Genolier - Switzerland

    1997

    Created the EORTC Pharmacovigilance department

  20. Allan T. van Oosterom (President: 2000-2003)

    Leuven - Belgium

  21. Alexander M. Eggermont (President: 2003-2006)

    Villejuif - France

  22. Alexander M. Eggermont (President: 2003-2006)

    Villejuif - France

    2005

    Created the EORTC Academic fund to support non-commercial pivotal clinical trials

  23. Martine Piccart (President: 2006-2009)

    Brussels - Belgium

  24. Martine Piccart (President: 2006-2009)

    Brussels - Belgium

    2007

    Established of the EORTC Network of Core Institutions

  25. Martine Piccart (President: 2006-2009)

    Brussels - Belgium

    2008

    Introduced EORTC Radiotherapy Quality Assurance

  26. Jean-Yves Blay (President: 2009-2012)

    Lyon - France

    2009

    Created EORTC Imaging Platform

  27. Jean-Yves Blay (President: 2009-2012)

    Lyon - France

    2010

    Developed specific methodology for clinical trials in the elderly

  28. Jean-Yves Blay (President: 2009-2012)

    Lyon - France

    2012

    • Strategy shift led to new cross-discipline programmes such as SPECTA for translational research and Survivorship for outcomes research
    • In partnership with Alliance Boots, launched SPECTAcolor programme for research in advanced colorectal cancer

  29. Roger Stupp (President: 2012-2017)

    Chicago - United States

    2014

    • Held first EORTC Cancer Survivorship Summit
    • Selected to join EU Expert Group on Cancer Control

  30. Roger Stupp (President: 2012-2017)

    Chicago - United States

    2015

    Prof Denis Lacombe appointed Director General of the EORTC Headquarters and Prof. Françoise Meunier as Director Special Projects

  31. Roger Stupp (President: 2012-2017)

    Chicago - United States

    2016

    • Established central biobanking system to support precision medicine clinical research
    • Entered a landmark collaborative agreement with the Japan Clinical Oncology Group

  32. Bertrand Tombal (Past President: 2017-2021)

    Brussels - Belgium

  33. Winette van der Graaf (President: 2022-current)

    Amsterdam - Netherlands