HISTORY

On 14 March 1918, Justin Godart, then Secretary of State for health in the military, founded the Franco-Anglo-American Anti-Cancer League, which would later become the National Anti-Cancer League. It was officially declared on 6 April 1918, authorised as a charity on 21 June of the same year and recognised as a public welfare organisation in 1920. The League is an association governed by the French law of 1901; it was chaired by Justin Godart from 1918 to 1956.

In 1934, Mr Godart organised a preparatory meeting with a view to founding what, in 1935, would become the UICC (International Union against Cancer), which he chaired from 1935 to 1953.

League Chairpersons:

Justin Godart was the 1st chairperson from 1918 to 1956.

Since then, Antoine Lacassagne, world-renowned cancerologist (1957-1971), Roger Gaspard, senior civil servant (1971-1981), Pierre Guillaumat, former government minister (1981-1991), Gabriel Pallez (1991-1998), Henri Pujol, cancerologist (1998-2007) and Francis Larra (since June 2007), cancerologist, have continued his work.
The League is a founding member of the Ethical Charter for Welfare and Humanitarian Charity Organisations Committee.
As the top funding association for cancer research in France, the League also assists patients and their loved ones, actively supports healthcare personnel, and proactively fights cancer by promoting screening, particularly among populations not in direct contact with public health messages. It strives to offer better prevention through health information and education and other hands-on actions. The League has been leading this fight in a completely transparent and independent way since its creation.

It is an independent NGO which relies on the generosity of the public and the commitment of its supporters.

With over 727,000 members, the League is a popular movement organised into a federation.
Over 10,000 volunteers.
103 departmental Committees in the field which implement or initiate local actions in line with the League's memorandum and articles of association: coordinating volunteers, representing the League to local political leaders, collecting actions and organising local events including recycling glass, printing cartridges and mobile phones, direct marketing actions coordinated by head office, Christmas collection boxes for retailers, organisation of Relays for Life*, etc. They also cultivate anti-cancer actions both locally and regionally.
Each of the League's Committees is an organisation in its own right (governed by the French law of 1901) which is independently managed and operated (Board of Directors, Office and Scientific Committee). Each of these bodies consists of external public figures, scientific and medical experts and a representative of the Federation's Head Office.

Like the National Federation, the Departmental Committees' main source of income is from public donations and bequests which are all put towards funding the League's cancer prevention, treatment and research activities.

Through its interconnected activities, the League is the ONLY independent anti-cancer organisation in France with a comprehensive view and approach to the disease.

Its multidisciplinary nature and financial and political independence make it a unique observer capable of bringing together as much talent as possible for medico-social and scientific cancer research.

 
Mission: fighting cancer on all fronts

Before the disease develops, through information, prevention and screening actions.
Acting for and with patients and their loved ones during and after the disease and supporting the work of healthcare staff.
Funding the top research teams by selecting only the best The League is the number 1 private and independent cancerology research funder in France.