The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has established a National Cancer Policy Forum (the Forum), effective on May 1, 2005, to succeed the existing National Cancer Policy Board (1996-2005, the Board).  IOM forums are designed to allow government, industry, academic, and other representatives to meet and confer privately on subject areas of mutual interest.

This Forum is the successor to the Board in providing a focus within the National Academies for the consideration of issues in science, clinical medicine, public health, and public policy relevant to the goals of preventing, palliating, and curing cancer. 

During the eight years of its life, the Board brought together leaders from the cancer community to identify and conduct studies and other activities contributing to cancer research, prevention, treatment, and public awareness.  The Board enjoyed an unusual flexibility in its grants of unrestricted funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The combination of multi-disciplinary expertise (basic, clinical, and public health scientists, consumers, and advocates) and resources to realize their ideas produced a remarkably original and diverse body of work contributing to improvements in knowledge and public policy.  

The successor National Cancer Policy Forum will build upon the work of the Board and will enjoy a closer working relationship with its federal and non-federal sponsors. As a forum rather than a board, sponsors will be full members with the academic, consumer, and policy community members. They will bring ideas and requests to the deliberations and will have the advantage of playing an active part in the discussions. Governmental sponsors include the NCI, CDC, CMS, AHRQ, FDA, and HRSA, and non-governmental sponsors include ACS, ASCO, C-Change, and UnitedHealth Group. Additional members have been appointed from distinguished members of the cancer community similar to those who were members of the Board.  

The Forum will be similar to the Board in identifying emerging policy issues in the nation's effort to combat cancer, and will explore them through convening activities that enable all members to be full participants in identifying and debating critical issues and examining potential actions.

To accomplish these results, the Forum may hold workshops and symposia on topics identified by the membership. These may result in published reports, may be for the purpose of informing the Forum members about critical issues, or may be for planning formal IOM committee studies.  As of October 29, 2007, the Forum will become part of the Board on Health Care Services, rather than a stand alone body.  This organizational change provides a secure home within the IOM for the Forum for the foreseeable future and for any IOM committee studies that emerge from the Forum.

The chair of the Forum is Dr. Harold Moses of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Comprehensive Cancer Center.  Funding to ensure a full program for an additional two years of work has been secured from the sponsors.

For additional information on the National Cancer Policy Forum, please contact:

Roger Herdman, M.D., Director
Phone: (202) 334-1246
Fax: (202) 334-2647
Email: ncpf@nas.edu

Mailing Address:
Institute of Medicine
National Cancer Policy Forum
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, D.C., 20001