National
American Association for Cancer Research Hosts 100th Annual Meeting
By SS
Apr 14, 2009, 17:40

Cutting-edge breakthroughs in molecular targeting, translational cancer research and cancer prevention will take center stage when nearly 17,000 scientists from around the world gather at the Colorado Convention Center, April 18-22, for the AACR 100th Annual Meeting 2009. Key data presented at the meeting will include new advances in personalized medicine that have demonstrated significant patient benefit.

“The scientists who gathered for the first Annual Meeting 100 years ago presented seven new research papers; they could not have imagined the advances we have made in just the past decade. This is truly an extraordinary time,” said Raymond N. DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., president of the AACR and provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. “Basic cancer research is a dynamic, global experience and we are on the cusp of exciting new discoveries.”

The theme of the AACR 100th Annual Meeting 2009 is “Science, Synergy and Success,” and the opening plenary session will feature insight and perspective from world leaders in cancer research on topics ranging from the cellular mechanisms of metastasis, to cancer prevention, to targeted drug therapies and personalized approaches.

The AACR’s Annual Meeting regularly attracts the top minds in academia, industry and government, as well as clinical oncologists, students, cancer survivors, advocates and other health care professionals. Such a diverse group facilitates a cross disciplinary exchange of new ideas and collaborations. This year, more than 6,000 abstracts were selected for presentation, complementing an outstanding program of scientific and educational events.

“The interdisciplinary nature of the science presented at this meeting reinforces the reality that all good science is team science, and as we work together across fields as a team, we will develop synergies that lead to success,” said Michael Caligiuri, M.D., chairperson of the AACR 2009 program committee and director and CEO of the Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital at The Ohio State University.

To better communicate important scientific breakthroughs to the public, the AACR has selected nearly 40 abstracts to be presented by the authors at press briefings throughout the week, each highlighting an emerging area of cancer research. Featured research at the press briefings includes:

• How diet and lifestyle affect one’s risk of cancer.
• The science of health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities.
• How personalized medicine is changing the cancer treatment landscape.
• Why genetic knowledge is changing the face of diagnosis and prognosis.

With the aim of inspiring the next generation of young cancer researchers, the AACR has invited nearly 300 local high school students to participate in “The Conquest of Cancer and the Next Generation of Cancer Researchers,” a day-long program on the floor of the AACR meeting that will feature educational lectures, a tour of poster displays and exhibits and a networking reception.