
1975
In september 1975 the GRELL network was founded at an International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). meeting, by Prof. Enrico Anglesio and Dr. Luc Raymond[ who envisioned a collaborative scientific network for Southern European countries. A month later, a formal document appointed Prof. Anglesio as temporary President and Dr. Raymond as temporary Secretary, marking the official formation of the Group.
1992
A turning point came in May 1992, with the First Meeting of the Founding Assembly, marking a shift toward structured governance and long-term sustainability. The network expanded beyond its original focus, including Latin-language cancer registries from Belgium, Luxembourg, and Romania, as well as regions outside Europe, including North, Central, and South America, and Africa.
1976
By March 1976, the first meeting took place in Geneva, Switzerland, bringing together 50 experts, mainly from French-speaking countries, to discuss cancer registries, training, and international collaboration. Since this inaugural meeting was held on Ascension Day, the Group become known as the “Group of Ascension”, with French as the primary meeting language.
The Secretariat was established at the Geneva Cancer Registry, where Dr Raymond served as the director. This laid the foundation for what would become a leading network in cancer research.
Soon after its creation, and in collaboration with IARC, the Group launched its first initiative: a questionnaire sent to cancer registries to improve harmonization and foster international cooperation.
By May 1976, the second meeting was planned in Milan, Italy, reinforcing the Group’s commitment to supporting cancer registries across Europe, Africa and Latin America - a mission it upheld for the next 17 years.
1993
In October 1993, the Group for Cancer Registration and Epidemiology in Latin Language Countries (GRELL) was officially established, with its objectives, activities, and key roles formally defined in its statutes. This milestone renforced GRELL’s role in collaborative force in cancer research.
Over the years, GRELL established strong collaborations with leading organizations in cancer epidemiology and registration, including IARC, WHO, ENCR[CB1] , and ANCR. The network continued to expand, new members and broading its scope beyond its initial focus.
From 1993, GRELL has organised scientific meeting and training courses, each year hosted in a different country, focusing on specific topics:
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1993 - Research protocol, 1994 - Prevalence estimate, 1995 - Study EuroCIM(4), 1996 - Registries and screening, 1997- Estimates of incidence and prevalence, 1999 - The measure of quality of life, and Quality of the data and attributable risk, 2000 - Time trends in survival, 2001 - Screening evaluation, 2002 - Virus and cancer, 2003 - Software, 2004 - Estimate and evaluation of the denominator, 2005 - Definition and classification of tumors.
2016
By 2016, GRELL took a significant step toward modernization, deciding to transform into a Scientific Society with registered members.
2017
This transition was finalized in May 2017, when the new statutes were officially approved at the annual meeting in Brussels, Beligum.
Since then, GRELL has continued to evolve, maintaining its commitment to cancer registration, epidemiology, and international collaboration, while strengthening its role as a recognized scientific society in the field.