The progress of undergraduate education in cancer in European countries was assessed, and recommendations were offered for further development according to the EURO program. Based on a survey of undergraduate education in medical schools of the European region, the following areas were evaluated: goals and objectives of teaching, tasks a general practitioner will be faced with in the field of oncology, the need for coordination of teaching, the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to teaching, distribution of teaching tasks among members of the faculty, methods of oncological teaching applicable to medical students, criteria of success, the organization of oncological training, and evaluation of examinations and teaching. Ways to improve undergraduate training in oncology are considered in relation to: program organization, elective courses, student attitudes and career aspirations, the use of cancer institutes and the role of voluntary and professional leagues and societies, and the role of the World Health Organization. Recommendations include the following: (1) the program should provide graduates with sufficient practical knowledge of tumor biology and pathology, epidemiology, prevention, early diagnosis, methods of treatment, and followup and rehabilitation to prepare them for future medical practice, especially at the primary health care level; (2) medical schools should review their educational objectives on the basis of task analysis of primary health care physicians; (3) cancer institutes and universities should cooperate in the cancer education of undergraduates; and (4) a specifically designated part of the curriculum should be devoted to oncology, but may be of variable length. (SW)