Contact information

http://www.krabb.is/

Address: Skogarhlid 8, P.O.Box 5420, IS-125 Reykjavik, Iceland
Tel.:+354 540 1900, fax: +354 540 1910
www.krabb.is
Director: Ragnheidur Haraldsdottir
Chairman: Sigridur Snæbjörnsdottir (e-mail ragnheidur@krabb.is)

The Icelandic Cancer Society is a nation-wide, voluntary organisation with 22 active, regional divisions, some recently reactivated, and 15 cancer patients' self-help groups around the country. Seven of the regional divisions have local service centres with a part-time employee, partly supported by the society. At the same time the society, with about 90 employees, can also be regarded as an institution with multiple functions that plays an important role in the Icelandic health service.

The society's activities are primarily financed by donations, income from sale of lottery tickets, remembrance cards and logos together with other fund-raising activities such as door-to-door collection campaigns. We keep on introducing various new approaches in financing, mainly through collaboration, involving various partners.

Another major source of income is through an agreement between the health authorities and the Cancer Society, which organises a Cancer Detection Clinic and carries out a nation-wide screening programme for cervical cancer (20-69 years) since 1964 resulting in a marked decrease in incidence and death from the disease. Screening for breast cancer (40-69 years) started in 1987 and although the incidence keeps on rising, the death rate is going down. Women older than 69 years are welcome but not specially invited. The screening clinic continues participation in an international research programme on vaccination against HPV and cervical cancer. The society´s total income in 2004 was 5.101.490 Euro’s.

Apart from the national screening programme, the Icelandic Cancer Society is responsible for a variety of functions such as general information and education about cancer and tobacco prevention. This has contributed to a continuing reduction in smoking of young people. We have just finished a campaign to warn against solaria linked to the annual confirmation of young people in the country´s churches.

Furthermore, successful courses have been run for cancer patients and their next of kin, "To live with cancer", also courses for volunteers and for health personnel. We encourage organised visits by the public, clubs, elderly citizens, to learn about our society.

The society runs a Molecular and Cell Biology Research Laboratory with a main emphasis on breast cancer research including a Bio-bank with samples from around 10,000 individuals. The laboratory has, in collaboration with the University of Iceland, trained about 50 students under a postgraduate scheme.

The Icelandic Cancer Registry, an extremely valuable population based data bank, is run under the auspices of the society and celebrated its 50th anniversary in May 2004 with an international conference and publication of a book on Cancer in Iceland.

The society supports a Home Care Service, providing medical and nursing support for cancer patients in the capital area, who wish to stay at home as long as their condition permits.

There continues to be a great demand for the eight flats purchased by the society in partnership with the Icelandic Red Cross, the Organisation for the Disabled and the Association of Bank Employees that are run by the University Hospital. They are for cancer patients and their families from the countryside who can stay there when they come to the capital for treatment, the reasonable rent being covered by their local division.

The society has recently employed a social worker to provide information and support for cancer patients and self-help groups.

The society continues to strengthen its support of the member organisations, stimulating formation of new divisions, as well as offering the patients´ self-help groups a programme of support and training for volunteers, connected with our telephone information and support line for cancer patients.

The society has been actively engaged with other interested partners in discussing and preparing for a screening programme for colon and rectal cancer.

Work is in progress to update and reconstruct our website: www.krabb.is

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