Cancer Information A Task of a Cancer Research Centre

Abstract

For many years, the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum has been endeavouring to improve communication between the scientists of the Centre and the citizen, who rightly wants to know which results of cancer research are of importance or will become important for him, his family and friends, his children and grandchildren. In view of the 160 000 cancer deaths per year in the Federal Republic of Germany, the pressure felt by scientists engaged in cancer research is great. It is thus all the more important to provide the public with continuous insight into current research programmes, their results and difficulties, and to inform the public of the conditions of research, of the possibilities resulting from the development of new methods, and of the ever more rapid progress in basic research, which, however, is only reflected after years or decades in an improvement of therapy and of diagnostics. To achieve these goals, a telephone 'cancer information service' was installed.