The “Organization of European Cancer Institutes” is a nongovernmental, no-profit legal Entity established in 1979 to promote greater cooperation among European Cancer Centres and Institutes with the following Aims:

• Create a critical mass of knowledge and skills that can identify and share new and improved models of care
• Improve the quality of cancer care and translational research
• Improve the quality of life for cancer patients
• Provide a path of continuous improvement in order to homogenize the care of cancer patients according to shared
• Achieve high European standards and quality levels.
• Facilitate the development of European multi-centre studies and the use of EU research funds

With time OECI has grown to include more than 100 Cancer Institution mainly in Europe but also in other Continents. The OECI aims to promote efficient partnership, reduce fragmentation and increase competitiveness amongst European cancer centres and institutes. This goal is being achieved by promoting and enhancing the concept of “comprehensiveness” and “multidisciplinarity”, supporting quality in cancer care and dynamically working in crosscut expertise by involving our Working Groups, our Members and promoting synergies with other cancer Organisations.

OECI, on September 10, 2015, has certified that IRE meets the quality standards for cancer treatment and research and has therefore awarded to IRE the qualification of Comprehensive Cancer Centre, namely an Institute with the combination of characteristics such as translational research, multidisciplinary, continuous improvement of care, the production of guidelines and diagnostic-therapeutic pathways, continuous training and centrality

Year 2019 has to be remembered as the year in which for the first time the annual meeting of OECI called “Oncology Days” has been held in Italy. The meeting was held in Bari from June 19 to June 21. All Italian OECI Members, including IRE contributed to the organization of the program. A dedicated roundtable session with the title: The OECI Italian Institutions Network Alliance Against Cancer (ACC), A Country Based Model took place as a central event in the meeting

In Year 2019 IRE has applied to undergo a new OECI Accreditation and Designation Programme. Upon approval of the IRE application on June 5, 2019, a self-assessment period started that was completed in January 2020. A provisional Accreditation as Comprehensive Cancer Center has been assigned as well as in March 2020 a GO decision was communicated and a peer review visit planned for May 12 and 13. Unfortunately that date was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and at the time of writing this report it has not yet been rescheduled