Patient Advocate Events
UPCOMING EVENTS
AACR Patient Advocate Forum: What’s Next for Drug Discovery and Development
September 12, 2023, 1:00 – 2:30 pm ET/ 10:00 – 11:30 am PT; VIRTUAL
The next decade promises to be a time of dramatic change for the cancer research community in terms of how new therapies will be discovered and developed. In keeping with advances in data science, drug discovery will be one of the areas of cancer research most significantly transformed through the application of artificial intelligence (specifically machine and deep learning). Enormous amounts of data, and data integration, will be required to power this information-driven transition, but the search for new cancer drug (and biologic) targets is well underway. These new approaches will present unique challenges for all aspects of drug development, including clinical trials and the regulatory review of these new agents. This AACR Patient Advocate Forum will explore what to expect in the months and years ahead in terms of the rate of progress for these new approaches
Register TodayAACR Cancer Progress Report Briefing
September 13, 2023; noon – 1:30 pm ET; Washington, DC | Live-Stream
Please join the AACR for a briefing on Wednesday, September 13 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., for the release of the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2023. The Cancer Progress Report is a cornerstone of the AACR’s efforts to educate policymakers and the broader public about cancer, highlight the remarkable progress we are making against the disease, and advocate for robust, sustained, and predictable annual funding increases for the NIH, NCI, FDA, and CDC.
Learn MoreRally for Medical Research
September 13-14, 2023; Washington, DC
Every September, a broad coalition of groups representing the medical research advocacy community meet with House and Senate offices in Washington, DC to urge members of Congress to make funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) a national priority.
Register Today16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved
September 29 – October 2, 2023; Orlando, Florida | Live-Stream
Cancer survivors and advocates are important members of the research community and valuable participants at the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically. There are a number of programs and events available to cancer survivors and patient advocates at the conference.
Learn Morepast events
Click on event titles to access recordings.
2023 Events
June 27, 2023 – AACR Virtual Patient Advocate Forum: The Evolution of FDA Regulatory Science and Its Impact on Cancer
This is an important time for regulatory science in cancer research. The increasing number and diversity of medical interventions, data opportunities, and novel clinical trial designs are challenging traditional regulatory processes and spurring the need for significant innovation in regulatory practice. Patient expectations for earlier access to innovations and for involvement in regulatory decision-making add to the opportunities for new methodologies and data sources. This AACR Patient Advocate Forum will explore how regulatory science is evolving to meet the growing complexity of cancer research and optimize regulation to support the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancers.
June 2023 – National Cancer Survivor Month
AACR supported National Cancer Survivor Month celebrating those who have fought the disease and those who are currently in treatment. Thanks to spectacular advances in cancer research, more than 18 million people in the United States are cancer survivors who are living with, through, and beyond their disease #CelebrateSurvivorship
April 14-19, 2023 – AACR Annual Meeting 2023
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. This year celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the AACR SSP.
February 28, 2023 – AACR Virtual Patient Advocate Forum: The Impact of Advanced Technologies on Cancer Research
Powered by advanced technology, an improved understanding of various cancers is proceeding at unprecedented speed, resolution, and scale. These new technologies are often referred to as the fourth industrial revolution as these advances are revealing new targets, mechanisms, and approaches for better-diagnosing cancer earlier, developing novel cancer therapeutics, and ultimately preventing cancer. This Forum explores the impact of some of the most promising of these advanced technologies on cancer research and how it is (or will) accelerate progress against this complex array of diseases we call cancer.
2022 Events
November 29, 2022 – AACR Virtual Patient Advocate Forum: Revolution in Cancer Clinical Trials
Clinical trials in oncology are increasing in complexity due to enrollment challenges, protocol deviations, and a staggering amount of data that are increasing costs and adding months to their timelines. Innovative trial designs may help address some of these challenges. This Forum reviews the standard features of traditional or gold-standard randomized clinical trials and discusses innovative trial designs that are changing the way new treatments are developed for patients with cancer.
October 11, 2022 – AACR Virtual Patient Advocate Forum: A New Frontier-The Very Early Detection of Cancer Signals
Late-stage diagnosis is a major contributor to cancer-related mortality, as patients diagnosed with advanced cancers have fewer treatment options and a greater likelihood of death. This Patient Advocate Forum highlights the latest research in cancer’s very early detection, and discusses the benefits and potential negatives of these new cancer screening tests.
September 21, 2022 – AACR Cancer Progress Report 2022 Policy Briefing
Released during this policy briefing, the annual AACR Cancer Progress Report to Congress and the American public is a cornerstone of the efforts of the AACR to educate the public about cancer and the importance of biomedical research, as well as to advocate for increased federal funding for the NIH, NCI, FDA, and CDC.
September 16-19, 2022 – 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved
The 15th AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved brought together professionals from academia, industry, government, and patient advocacy to advance the understanding of, and ultimately help to eliminate, the disparities that represent a major public health problem.
September 13-14, 2022 – Rally for Medical Research
Advocates at the 2022 Rally for Medical Research called 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.
August 23, 2022 – AACR Virtual Patient Advocate Forum: The Transformative Potential of Biomarkers
Each person’s cancer has a unique pattern of biomarkers, making biomarker testing a critical part of diagnostics and treatment. This Forum explores where and how biomarkers are changing cancer research and care to benefit patients with cancer.
June 28, 2022 – AACR Virtual Patient Advocate Forum: The Science of Cancer Survivorship
As of 2019, more than five percent of the US population is living with a history of cancer. Researchers are exploring evidence-based strategies to improve survival and quality of life for patients with cancer, but there is still much work to be done. This Forum explores research studies advancing the field of cancer survivorship, identified gaps in knowledge, and explored the future direction of cancer survivorship research.
June 8, 2022 – Virtual Congressional Briefing to Release the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report
Released during this virtual congressional briefing, the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2022 highlights the progress being made toward cancer health equity and the ongoing need for a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach—including robust federal funding—to address these complex and multifactorial public health issues.
June 2022 – National Cancer Survivor Month
Thanks to cancer research, there are currently 18.1 million cancer survivors in the United States. AACR celebrates survivors and encourages individuals touched by cancer to learn more about the science of survivorship and discover how research can save lives. Throughout June, we shared survivorship stories, posted educational sessions, and invited the community to take action on behalf of cancer survivors. #CelebrateSurvivorship
May 26, 2022 – Brainstorming for Brain Tumor Cures
In honor of Brain Tumor Awareness and National Cancer Research month, AACR journal Cancer Discovery and the AACR Office of Science Policy and Government Affairs co-hosted a virtual panel to discuss barriers and solutions to accelerate the clinical translation of therapies for patients with brain tumors.
May 2022 – National Cancer Research Month
The AACR initiated and supports National Cancer Research Month to highlight the importance of lifesaving research to the millions of people around the world affected by the collection of devastating diseases we call cancer.
April 12, 2022 – Cancer Survivorship Panel
A discussion on cancer survivorship with members of the AACR Annual Meeting Scientist↔Survivor Program®, moderated by Angus Chen of STAT.
April 8-13, 2022 – AACR Annual Meeting 2022
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.
February 2022 – Patient Advocate Roundtable: COVID-19 and Cancer
The AACR Patient Advocate Roundtable on COVID-19 and Cancer provides additional insight on some of the topics highlighted in the report, as well as the patient perspective on the vaccine rollout and how patients with cancer are adapting to life with the continued presence of COVID-19.
February 9, 2022 – Virtual Briefing: AACR Report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Research and Patient Care
The AACR Report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Research and Patient Care presents current evidence on the burden of COVID-19 among patients with cancer and highlights the challenges as well as future opportunities created by the pandemic in cancer research and patient care.
2021 Events
December 13, 2021 – AACR Virtual Patient Advocate Forum: How Evolution Shapes Cancer
The Forum explored how cancer evolution will drive the development of new biomarkers and more effective therapeutic targets.
December 8, 2021 – AACR-ABCF Special Education Session at SABCS
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) partnered with the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation to present a virtual educational program on bioethics and research.
October 13, 2021 – Virtual Briefing: Release of the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2021
The annual AACR Cancer Progress Report to Congress and the American public is a cornerstone of the efforts of the AACR to educate the public about cancer and the importance of biomedical research, as well as to advocate for increased federal funding for the NIH, NCI, FDA, and CDC.
October 12, 2021 – AACR Virtual Patient Advocate Forum: The Potential of Big Data The Forum explored how scientists are translating data into clinically relevant knowledge, discussed the role of patients in these efforts, and highlighted the opportunities for using big data to advance cancer care.
October 7, 2021 – Addressing Advocacy at the Bench
The session addressed the topic of mistrust of health care providers or systems among underrepresented communities and highlighted ways patient advocates are engaging their communities and building trust in the COVID-19 vaccine.
September 22-23, 2021 – Rally for Medical Research 2021 Hill Day
The Rally for Medical Research was formed to raise awareness at this critical time of the urgent need for increased investment in the NIH to improve health, spur more progress, inspire more hope, and save more lives.
June 2021 – National Cancer Survivor Month
AACR supports this awareness and education campaign celebrating those who have fought the disease and those who are currently in treatment.
May 17-21, 2021 – AACR Annual Meeting 2021: Week 2
The second week featured education sessions, methods workshops, meet the expert sessions, professional advancement sessions, and SSP recap sessions.
May 4, 2021 – AACR Virtual Patient Advocate Forum: The Promise of Immuno-Oncology
The Forum discussed the promise and challenges of immuno-oncology.
May 2021 – National Cancer Research Month
The AACR initiated and supports National Cancer Research Month to highlight the importance of lifesaving research to the millions of people around the world affected by the collection of devastating diseases we call cancer.
April 15, 2021 – #AACR21 Wrap-Up: Twitter Chat for Patients and Advocates
The AACR-Cancer Today Magazine Twitter chat, moderated by Cancer Today Editor-in-Chief William G. Nelson, MD, PhD, discussed the highlights of Week 1 of the AACR Annual Meeting.
April 10-15 2021 – AACR Annual Meeting 2021: Week 1
The first week featured the opening ceremony, plenary sessions, major scientific sessions, award lectures, and the Annual Meeting SSP.
February 16, 2021 – AACR Virtual Patient Advocate Forum: Precision Oncology Advances in 2020 – Looking Ahead to 2021!
The Forum highlighted recent discoveries and advances in precision oncology and discussed how they have positioned the research community for 2021.
2020 Events
December 9, 2020 – AACR/ABCF Special Education Session
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) partnered with the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation to present a virtual educational program on cancer stem cells and metaplastic breast cancer.
November 20, 2020 – AACR Dialogue FB Live: Lung Cancer
Ivy Elkins and Jill Feldman, co-founders of EGFR Resisters Lung Cancer Patient Group, share their journey with lung cancer in an AACR Dialogue Facebook Live event.
October 29, 2020 – AACR Dialogue FB Live: Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
In this edition of AACR Dialogues, triple-negative breast cancer survivors turned advocates, Cynthia Ryan and Melanie Nix speak candidly about their experience with the disease.
October 1, 2020 – AACR Virtual Patient Advocate Forum: COVID-19 and Cancer
Advocates from across the cancer community joined this free virtual event to get the latest information on the science of COVID-19, new treatments, vaccines in development, and the impact of the pandemic on cancer care.
September 23, 2020 – Virtual Briefing: Release of the AACR Cancer Progress Report
The annual AACR Cancer Progress Report to Congress and the American public is a cornerstone of the efforts of the AACR to educate the public about cancer and the importance of biomedical research, as well as to advocate for increased federal funding for the NIH, NCI, FDA, and CDC.
September 21, 2020 – Science of Cancer Health Disparities: Advocate Pre-Conference Session
Dr. Lisa Newman, the AACR Jane Cooke Wright Lectureship Awardee, shared with advocates her amazing work in disparities and provided an overview of the Science of Cancer Health Disparities sessions.
September 16 -17, 2020 – Rally for Medical Research 2020 Virtual Hill Day
Annual event 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 16, 2020 – Virtual Briefing: Release of the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) released its inaugural AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2020 at a virtual congressional briefing.
May 27, 2020 – AACR FDA Advocate Listening Session on Cancer Clinical Trials During COVID-19
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) recorded a patient advocate listening session on May 27, 2020, to learn more about cancer clinical trials during COVID-19 and the COVID-19 Related Guidance Documents for Industry, FDA Staff, and Other Stakeholders.
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