Newswise — ORLANDO, Fla. — Scientific breakthroughs in personalized medicine, diagnosis and prevention of cancer will take center stage when more than 18,000 people from around the world gather at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., from April 2-6 for the AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011.
“The science of cancer research is surging ahead and many advances that have built upon decades of tremendously good research have come to fruition and will be presented at the AACR Annual Meeting this year,” said AACR President Elizabeth Blackburn, Ph.D., the Morris Herzstein professor of biology and physiology in the department of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco.
One of the world’s leading scientists, Blackburn won the Nobel Prize in 2009 in Physiology or Medicine for her role in the discovery of telomerase, an enzyme that plays a key role in normal cell function, as well as in aging and most cancers.
Blackburn has continued her work in this area, and on Saturday, April 2 at 2:00 p.m. ET in room W313 of the convention center, she will address the media on exciting new research projects that explain the role of telomerase, stress and cancer risk.
Increased Focus on Clinical Trials
The theme of this year’s Annual Meeting, “Innovation and Collaboration: The Path to Progress,” recognizes the increased collaboration between basic science, translational research and clinical trials.
This year, the American Association for Cancer Research received many clinical trial submissions and members of the media can hear an update on the latest results in the hardest to treat cancers, including lung, breast and solid malignancies.
The press conference “Drugs in the Pipeline: Emerging Therapies in Clinical Trials” will take place on Saturday, April 2 at 10:00 a.m. ET in room W313 of the convention center.
Beyond the science highlighted in the press conferences, the AACR Annual Meeting remains the premier venue for the discussion of the latest scientific findings. Nearly 75 of the plenary sessions presented this week will feature late breaking data and research.
New Frontiers in AACR Publication and Government Policy
Cancer Discovery, the newest journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, will debut at the Annual Meeting. Under the leadership of Co-editors Lewis Cantley, Ph.D., and Jose Baselga, M.D., Ph.D., the journal will feature high-impact research in the field.
On Sunday, April 3 Cantley and Baselga will host a press conference featuring research from Cancer Discovery, which includes new science on the role of immune therapy in breast cancer, personalized therapy for lung cancer, and an emerging potential treatment for prostate cancer.
This press conference will take place at 1:00 p.m. ET in room W313 of the convention center.
Additionally, the AACR Office of Science Policy and Government Affairs in Washington, D.C., continues to increase its influence on the nation’s capitol as we strive to increase the commitment to finding a cure.
On Sunday, April 3 at 3:00 p.m. ET several leaders of that effort will address the media in room W313 of the convention center.
Cancer Diagnosis, Prevention and Beyond Explored
New science continues to emerge and the AACR is at the forefront of bringing this lifesaving information to the public. With early diagnosis being a key to better cancer management, the Annual Meeting will host a press conference on “Innovative Diagnostics” on Monday, April 4 at 8:30 a.m. ET in room W313 of the convention center.
This will be followed by a final press conference on “Understanding Cancer Risk Factors and Genetics.” This press conference will be held at 11:00 a.m. ET in room W313 of the convention center.
Beyond the press conferences, the AACR Communications Department has selected the following research from this robust meeting of more than 6,000 new reports and trials. Please note that all information is embargoed until the AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011. Embargo dates and times are listed on each of the releases:
• Extreme Weight Gain Raises Risk for Recurrence Among Breast Cancer Survivors • Soy Isoflavones Not a Risk for Breast Cancer Survivors• Nicotine Does Not Promote Lung Cancer Growth in Mouse Models• Smoking Did Not Influence Breast Cancer Risk Among Obese Women• Aspirin May Lower the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer• GOLFIG Increased Progression-free Survival in Colorectal Cancer Patients• Strawberries May Slow Precancerous Growth in Esophagus• Avoiding or Controlling Diabetes May Reduce Cancer Risk and Mortality• Metabolic Syndrome May Increase Risk for Liver Cancer• Lung Cancer Risk Rises in the Presence of HPV Antibodies• Physical Health Scores Predict Breast Cancer Outcomes• Immune System May Guide Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer• Digoxin May be a Possible Treatment for Prostate Cancer
Press registration for the AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers: http://www.aacr.org/PressRegistration
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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, the AACR is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes 32,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 90 other countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants, research fellowships and career development awards. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 18,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. Including Cancer Discovery, the AACR publishes seven major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; and Cancer Prevention Research. AACR journals represented 20 percent of the market share of total citations in 2009. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists.
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