A three-day global cancer summit organised by cyclist Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation opens in Dublin today.
The summit will see be attended by politicians, non-governmental organisations, corporate leaders and individuals who are making new commitments to cancer control.
Andy Miller, vice president of programs and policy for the foundation, said the summit was being held in the Ireland, the first time it has been held outside the United States, as the country had been at the forefront of anti-tobacco measures.
Mr Miller said the summit was seeking to "spur new global initiatives" as "investment in cancer control is not where it should be". He described as a "catastrophe" the fact that 28 million people worldwide suffer from cancer.
Up to 500 delegates, including health ministers from several countries and representatives from cancer agencies, are expected to attend the event in the RDS.
Armstrong, who has just completed Tour of Ireland, famously overcame cancer and went on to win the Tour de France between 1999 and 2005 – a record in the event’s 106-year history.
He set up his foundation in 1996, after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.