At that time, several scientists had become convinced that lifestyle factors could be related to the risk of 60% or more of all human cancers, thus offering hope that many could be actually prevented.

Alain Maskens, a Belgian oncologist, circulated a document that proposed to create an organization with three main goals: Several experts agreed to form a scientific committee responsible for defining the project priorities, methods and structures.

The participants included: Guy Blaudin de Thé (Lyon), Franco Conte (Genova), Daniela Daniele (Torino), Pierre Dellenbach (Strasbourg), Lajos Döbrössy (WHO Europe), Peter Ebbesen (Aarhus), Jean Faivre (Dijon), Pierre Jeandrain (Brussels), Joseph Joossens (Leuven), Cristina Kettlitz (Milano), Paul Mainguet (Louvain), Franz Oesch (Mainz), Marcel Roberfroid (Louvain), Leonardo Santi (Genova), James Scott (Leeds), Martine Van Glabbeke (EORTC), and Jean-Pierre Wolff (Villejuif).

The aim of ECP has progressively changed, currently it includes epidemiology, nutrition, genetics, molecular biology, targeted therapies, surgery, and innovative research areas.

These activities comprise scientific meetings, educational conferences, professional workshops, and special symposia about issues of particular relevance to oncologists and researchers.