Philadelphia, March 30, 1999 -- Cancer researchers from around the world will meet in April at the 90th Annual Meeting of American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) to share cutting-edge research findings in the rapidly advancing areas of translational research and molecular genetics, including anti-angiogenesis agents, cancer vaccines, gene therapy, and molecular targeted therapy. The meeting will take place from April 10-14 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, and will feature close to 5,000 abstracts and 200 invited presentations. Two special late-breaking research sessions will offer reports of highly significant and timely findings that have occurred within the last few months. A new feature at the Annual Meeting is a special lecture, given this year by Nobel Laureate James D. Watson, Ph.D., entitled "From the Double Helix to DNA Tumor Viruses."
"As the pace of scientific discovery accelerates, it is essential to present the most up-to-date and novel information to the scientific community and the public in order to make progress against cancer," said Webster K. Cavenee Ph.D., President of AACR and Director, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in La Jolla, CA. "To that end, we have been closely monitoring scientific developments and will present research on the latest research findings in all of the subdisciplines of cancer research."
"For the last five months, the 90th Annual Meeting Program Committee has been working to examine the entire field of cancer research and identify the most rapidly developing research areas, as well as the most appropriate scientists to organize the sessions in which these new data will be presented," said Waun Ki Hong, M.D., American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor, Professor and Chairman, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Oncology, UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Charles A. LeMaistre Distinguished Chair in Thoracic Oncology, Chairperson of the AACR Program Committee, and Chairperson of this year's Plenary Session. "We have made special efforts to ensure that this year's meeting reflects the exciting progress into clinical practice -- which is taking place in many areas of the cancer field. The AACR Annual Meeting continues to be the world's most important venue for the presentation of basic, translational, and clinical cancer research."
Plenary Session
The plenary session, entitled "New Frontiers in Cancer Research," exemplifies
the breadth of expertise of the presenters at this year's meeting. The plenary
session is scheduled for Sunday, April 11, from 9:15-11:15 a.m. Four leading
cancer researchers will provide an overview of the most important developments
in their respective fields:
- Robert A. Weinberg, Ph.D., Member, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research,
Professor of Biology, MIT in Cambridge, MA will discuss "Genetics"
- Lloyd J. Old, M.D., Director Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in
New York, NY will present the latest data on "Cancer Immunology and the Development
of Cancer Vaccines"
- Judah Folkman, M.D., Professor of Cellular Biology, Harvard Medical School in Boston,
MA, will discuss "Therapeutics and Translational Research"
- C. Kent Osborne, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, TX, will cover the most recent findings in "Hormonal Intervention and Prevention"
Recognizing the importance of dialogue among cancer experts, particularly in complex scientific areas, the meeting will also feature a forum that takes a critical look at current strategies in the area of cancer prevention. The session, entitled "Tamoxifen: The Benefit/Risk Balancing Act," will be chaired by Leslie G. Ford, M.D. Associate Director, Early Detection and Community Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Prevention, who will moderate a discussion about the risks and benefits associated with Tamoxifen in preventing breast cancer.
Other Featured Areas of Research
An estimated 8,500 scientists from around the world are expected to attend AACR's
90th Annual Meeting. The latest discoveries in the following areas will be highlighted
at scientific sessions throughout the meeting:
- Recent Developments in Colon Cancer Prevention
- New Approaches to Early Detection and Diagnosis of Cancer
- Role of Diet in Cancer Causation and Prevention
- New Discoveries in the Treatment of Breast, Pancreatic, and Lung Cancers
- Advances in Research on Tobacco and Cancer
- Predicting Cancer Risk Among Minority Populations
For the first time, the AACR will offer a virtual pressroom on the World Wide Web during the 90th Annual Meeting. It will be accessible via AACR's existing website (www.aacr.org) to media who register online. For reporters who are planning to attend the Annual Meeting, the virtual pressroom will offer the opportunity to register for the meeting online. Reporters will also be able to place online requests for interviews with scientists and to access all press releases on an embargoed basis. Reporters will be able to view news briefings in real time or afterwards. Other key sessions at the 90th Annual Meeting, including the Plenary Session and all award lectures, will be webcast and will be available through the virtual pressroom. Lastly, media will be able to access archived press releases from the 1998 meeting.
Third Annual Public Forum
The meeting will feature AACR's Third Annual Public Forum, entitled "Progress and
New Hope in the Fight Against Cancer: A Public Forum Highlighting the Latest
Discoveries." This interactive session is open to the public free of charge and will
take place on Saturday, April 10, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The session
will highlight developments in research on breast and prostate cancers, treatments,
prevention strategies, cancer genetics, nutrition and other complementary approaches,
the consumer's role in cancer research, and special concerns of minority populations.
The Public Forum also will be webcast and available to media through the online pressroom.
A special "Ask-the-Experts" session will provide a rare opportunity for the public to meet one-on-one with scientists to ask questions, and an exhibition of local and national cancer organizations will provide information on support and advocacy programs. The General Session will take place from 9-11:30 a.m., followed by the "Ask-the-Experts" Session from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The public exhibition will be open from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is a professional society of more than 15,000 laboratory and clinical scientists engaged in cancer research in the United States, Canada, and more than 60 other countries. The AACR's principal activities include: fostering advances in cancer and biomedical research through programs that promote scientific communication, science education and training, and public education; organizing scientific meetings for the presentation of new and significant discoveries in the cancer field; and publishing four major peer-reviewed scientific journals (Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research, Cell Growth & Differentiation, and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention)