USA - Strengthening Collaborative Research on Cancer Metastasis between Cancer Institutions in Norway and USA

The three partcipating institutions have already ongoing collaborations in the metastasis field in tumor types such as malignant melanoma and sarcoma. To strengthen the scientific and administrative basis for these projects, and to review and explore the opportunities for making the results of the research of benefit for cancer patients, we want to organize joint meetings between the participating groups, as well as to support visits and short-term exchange of scientific personell. The projects rest on an already obtained success in the start-up subprojects and on the high degree of complementarity in expertise, models, technologies, and access to clinical samples. This unique situation ensures the enthusiasm among the participants, and the proposed initi atives will be of significant value in bringing the projects forward as fast as possible. Bringing key people together on a hopefully regular basis will retain the engagement and support for the cooperation on a long term basis, and several new projects o n other tumor types are already initiated with full administrative support. The project may develop into a an excellent example on how collaborative projects between institutions in the two countries can results in scientific and clinical achievements tha t are more than additive compared to the individual institutions working individually.