Patient Advocate Events

Upcoming events

The upcoming AACR Patient Advocate Forum will explore 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 session will highlight how innovations in these areas are driving unprecedented progress in understanding, diagnosing, and treating cancer. Advocates will hear from experts on how cutting-edge tools are revealing new biological insights and enabling more personalized, effective interventions. The Forum will also emphasize how these technologies are shaping the patient experience across the continuum of care—from diagnosis through survivorship.

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past events

Click on event titles to access recordings.

2025 Events

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.

2024 Events

December 10-13, 2024 – San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

SABCS provided state-of-the-art information on the experimental biology, etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of breast cancer and premalignant breast disease to an international audience of academic and private physicians. researchers, and patient advocates. Over 500 patient advocates registered for this important meeting.

September 24, 2024 – World Cancer Research Day 2024 Panel Discussion

On World Cancer Research Day 2024—September 24—the AACR held a panel discussion examining how innovations are driving progress toward health equity. The panel featured Dr. Brian Rivers, Dr. Simone Badal, Dr. Karen Winkfield, and patient advocate Susan Matsuko Shinagawa.

September 21-24, 2024 – 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved

The 17th 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 18-19, 2024 – Rally for Medical Research

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.

September 18, 2024 – AACR Cancer Progress Report 2024 Congressional Briefing

The annual AACR Cancer Progress Report to Congress and the American public was released during this Congressional Briefing. The report is the cornerstone of AACR’s efforts 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.

August 20, 2024 – AACR Patient Advocate Forum: Activating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Cancer Science and Medicine

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is promising to revolutionize cancer diagnosis, treatment, and patient care. But will it live up to the hype? As we explore how to leverage AI to enhance cancer research and care, patient advocates will play a critical role in ensuring that AI technologies are developed and implemented in ways that truly benefit patients. This Forum explores how AI is reshaping oncology and shares insights into strategies to navigate the opportunity and uncertainty.

June 24, 2024 – AACR Roundtable Discussion: AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2024

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is pleased to convene an interactive roundtable discussion of the third AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report. This landmark report features the latest research on disparities in cancer incidence, diagnosis, treatment, and survival. The report highlights the progress that has been made to reduce cancer disparities and provides policy recommendations to address many of the remaining barriers to achieving health equity. In addition, the report features the stories of several survivors and the challenges they have faced.

June 2024 – 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.

May 15, 2024 – AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2024 Congressional Briefing

Released during this congressional briefing, the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2024 raises awareness of the enormous toll that cancer exacts on racial and ethnic minority groups and other medically underserved populations in the United States; highlights underlying causes of cancer disparities as well as promising trends in reducing these inequities; and emphasizes the need for continued research and collaborations to ensure that advances against cancer benefit all patients, regardless of their race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, or geographic location.

April 5-10, 2024 – AACR Annual Meeting 2024

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.

2023 Events

September 29-October 2, 2023 – 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved

The 16th 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, 2023 – Rally for Medical Research

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.

September 13, 2023 – AACR Cancer Progress Report 2023 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 12, 2023 – AACR Virtual Patient Advocate Forum: What’s Next for Drug Discovery and Development

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.

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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