Patient Advocate Events
Upcoming events
San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium
December 9-12, 2025
San Antonio, Texas
Hybrid
This year marks the 48th anniversary of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, now the largest breast cancer research gathering in the world. SABCS proudly celebrates the vital role patient advocates play in advancing breast cancer research, discovery, and care. Each year we are honored to welcome nearly 500 patient advocates, representing over 113 patient advocacy organizations worldwide. The patient advocate program schedule will be posted soon.
Learn MoreAACR Annual Meeting 2026
April 17-22, 2026
San Diego, California
Hybrid
The AACR Annual Meeting is the focal point of the cancer research community, where scientists, clinicians, other health care professionals, survivors, patients, and advocates gather to share the latest advances in cancer science and medicine. From population science and prevention; to cancer biology, translational, and clinical studies; to survivorship and advocacy; the AACR Annual Meeting highlights the work of the best minds in cancer research from institutions all over the world.
Patient advocates are essential participants of the AACR Annual Meeting, offering insights that reflect the lived experiences of those impacted by cancer. Importantly, advocates bridge the gap between scientific discovery and real-world impact, ensuring that research outcomes are not only innovative but also aligned with the needs and experiences of patients. Applications are now open for the 2026 AACR Scientist↔Survivor Program®, the renowned educational program for patient advocates at the AACR Annual Meeting.
Apply Todaypast events
Click on event titles to access recordings.
2025 Events
September 18-21, 2025: 18th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities
The 18th AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities was dedicated to advancing the understanding of cancer health disparities that pose significant public health challenges and affect vulnerable populations. Patient advocates engaged with experts in basic, translational, clinical, population, behavioral, computational, and community-based research to share ideas, explore the latest findings, and develop new research initiatives.
September 17-18, 2025: Rally for Medical Research
Advocates from around the country joined the 2025 Rally for Medical Research! Hill Day to call on our nation’s policymakers to make funding for NIH a national priority and raise awareness about the importance of continued investment in medical research that leads to MORE PROGRESS, MORE HOPE and MORE LIVES SAVED.
September 17, 2025: AACR Cancer Progress Report 2025 Release Event
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the annual AACR Cancer Progress Report, released during this special event in Washington, DC. As the cornerstone of the AACR’s commitment to educating the public about cancer and the critical role of biomedical research, the report underscores the need for sustained federal funding for the NIH, NCI, FDA, and CDC.
July 15, 2025: AACR Patient Advocate Forum: From Discovery to Survivorship: Technology’s Role in Beating Cancer
The AACR Patient Advocate Forum explores how advanced technologies are transforming cancer care, with a focused lens on immunotherapy, precision oncology, imaging, and survivorship. Building on the February 2023 Forum, this program highlights how innovations in these areas are driving unprecedented progress in understanding, diagnosing, and treating cancer. Experts share how cutting-edge tools are revealing new biological insights and enabling more personalized, effective interventions. The Forum also emphasizes how these technologies are shaping the patient experience across the continuum of care—from diagnosis through survivorship.
June 2025: National Cancer Survivor Month
Thanks to cancer research, there are currently more than 18 million people living with a history of cancer in the United States. Each person diagnosed with cancer faces a unique set of challenges, but one in four survivors reports a poor physical quality of life and one in 10 reports poor mental health-related quality of life. We need to do better.
AACR celebrates survivors and encourages individuals touched by cancer to learn more about the science of survivorship and discover how research is improving cancer-related outcomes and saving lives.
April 25-30, 2025: AACR Annual Meeting 2025
The AACR Annual Meeting is the focal point of the cancer research community, where scientists, clinicians, other health care professionals, survivors, patients, and advocates gather to share the latest advances in cancer science and medicine.
January 21, 2025: AACR Patient Advocate Forum: Exploring a New Generation of Patient-Centric Clinical Trials
More people are living through and beyond cancer thanks in large part to clinical trials which have given countless cancer patients access to lifesaving treatments. As scientific research has driven progress in cancer diagnosis and treatment, it has also led to significant changes in the way clinical trials are conducted. This Forum explores cutting-edge developments revolutionizing the process and paving the way for more efficient, inclusive, and patient-centric clinical trials.
