As part of the Middle-Eastern cancer research society who study and work in Europe and North America, it is distressing to observe such a large gap in cancer research between western and developing countries. This is due, in part, to the low level of collaboration among scientists in developing countries, especially in the Middle-East (ME) region. Based on these observations, we thought that establishing an association for cancer research in the ME would be a good idea in stimulating the exchange of ideas, thereby encouraging dynamic collaborations between cancer scientists in all ME countries including Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and North African states. Therefore, the Middle-Eastern Association for Cancer Research (MEACR) was established, and officially registered as a nonprofit organization in Montreal, Canada, in December 2009. Moreover, an official scientific journal of the MEACR under the name of Clinical Cancer Investigation Journal (CCIJ) was also registered in the same period.

The main objectives of the MEACR are to encourage the collaboration between cancer research scientists within the ME region as well as those working in North America, Europe, and other parts of the world and to promote scientific education and training of graduate students and young investigators in ME countries. These objectives will be fulfilled by publishing a peer-reviewed scientific journal (CCIJ) and hosting a scientific meeting in a different ME country every year.

As a first step in establishing the MEACR, we organized the first executive committee meeting at Aleppo University (Aleppo-Syria) in May 2010 in which several members from different countries of ME participated. Based on our discussion during the meeting, we approved the formation of the MEACR, and we also agreed on the development of its mission and objectives. Moreover, the first scientific annual meeting was held at Tanta University (Tanta-Egypt) on December 27 and 28, 2011.

I would like to thank all MEACR members especially the executive committee members who were selected based on their scientific background and their motivation in establishing this association in the ME. Also, I would like to express my gratitude to the editorial members of the CCIJ and especially our associate editors Drs. Jean Paul Thiery, Moulay M. Alaoui-Jamali, Shahid Pervez, and Wafik S. El-Deiry, who are internationally known cancer scientists.

It gives me a great pleasure to share this dream with you and to wish everyone a very Happy New Year 2012 and prosperity for the MEACR and the CCIJ.

With my best regards,