Health care disparities are not always out in the open, but statistics can help bring the varied experiences of people of different races, ethnicities, and gender identities into clearer focus. The Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2024, which was first released on May 15, highlights data that illustrate persistent health inequities for these underserved populations. On June 24, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), which publishes this report every two years, gathered patients and experts to discuss the report findings and help advance public understanding of these inequ ..read more

Imagine if identifying the right cancer treatment for a specific patient was more akin to a dating app where the best potential matches are suggested based on each person’s profile. While progress has been made in developing more targeted therapies for some cancers based on their genetic profile, this has been a challenge with sarcomas. These tumors, which can develop in bones or soft tissues (such as lymph nodes, blood vessels, nerves, fat, tendons, muscles, ligaments, or cartilage), have more than 100 subtypes with different genetic features. Not being able to classify these tumor subtypes ..read more

When you hear the word “vaccine,” you might think of your annual flu shot or COVID booster, but did you know that some vaccines can treat—or even prevent—cancer?  But before we get there, let’s start with the basics—what is a vaccine? How does it protect you from disease?   A vaccine at its core delivers something associated with disease, such as a protein, into your body, which trains your immune system to recognize and react to the disease later on.   Think of it as training a dog on a specific scent.  Flu vaccines, for example, deliver pieces of a protein from ..read more

As a weekend of barbecues and fireworks looms on the horizon, the editors of the 10 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) journals are serving up some sizzling cancer research published during the month of June. This month’s explosive articles include data from a phase III clinical trial leading to a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the KRAS inhibitor adagrasib; a new drug that may boost multiple other therapies; a way to predict chemotherapy response in glioblastoma using imaging; and more.  Like the United States, these articles are free—but only for a ..read more

In fall 2023—more than five years after Peter Wolf first noticed a gurgling sound in his chest—doctors finally offered him a diagnosis: radiation-induced heart disease. The strange sounds and shortness of breath he experienced were a direct result of treatment he received in his teens for nodular sclerosis Hodgkin lymphoma. Wolf’s efforts to get a diagnosis are described in the summer issue of Cancer Today, a magazine and online resource for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers published by the American Association for Cancer Research. His story helps illustrate cancer treatment’s effec ..read more

Within each of our bodies is a collection of highly regulated cells—called the immune system—capable of recognizing danger, sounding an alarm, and mobilizing to get rid of the threat. The immune system keeps us safe in many ways: by clearing infections, healing wounds, and, yes, even fighting cancer.  Cancers, however, have many tricks to escape the immune system. Fortunately, researchers are discovering innovative strategies to intervene and enable immune cells to do their job. These strategies form the basis of cancer immunotherapy, a revolutionary class of cancer treatment that uses ..read more

After a previous encounter with a doctor who was not open to treating gay patients, Daniel West knew he needed to find a health care provider he could trust when he was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in December 2022.   “It’s very important for anyone in my community to be comfortable with their physician,” West said. “My doctor is not gay, but he’s understanding of John’s and my relationship. He understands that we’re a team … that we are making this decision as a family.”  Unfortunately, 37% of those in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus ..read more

The most common treatment for noninvasive bladder cancer has existed for over 100 years, was originally developed as a tuberculosis vaccine, and no one knows exactly how it works against cancer.  Nevertheless, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) continues to be a mainstay of treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC)—bladder cancer constrained to the bladder lining, which accounts for around 75% of localized bladder cancer cases. But what about tumors that don’t respond to this enigmatic immunotherapy?  In recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approv ..read more

Sometimes even the best detectives could use a little assistance with particularly complex mysteries—and the mysteries of cancer are as complex as they come. So, even if cancer researchers have a team full of Sherlock Holmes, they could still use a Dr. Watson to help put things in perspective—or perhaps a genie will do. Over the past decade, AACR Project GENIE has evolved from a repository of tumor genomic and clinal data to become a tool for training artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models, synthesizing data, and predicting drug responses and patient outcomes. This evol ..read more

It was a record year for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2024. Not only were there more registrants than ever—over 23,200 with more than 22,000 in person in San Diego from 78 countries and territories—but the 115th edition of this meeting received its most ever abstracts (over 7,250) and featured its largest ever clinical program with over 240 trials, including 24 in phase III.    Focusing on the theme of “Inspiring Science, Fueling Progress, Revolutionizing Care,” the meeting featured the latest from across the cancer research continuum, incl ..read more