The Association of American Cancer Institutes convened its member cancer centers and collaborators from the national cancer research community for the AACI Annual Meeting/CCAF Fall Meeting October 5-7, 2008, in Chicago. The annual trans-disciplinary conference, examined issues that both challenge and contribute to the cancer centers’ combined efforts to improve the health of patients and families in every community across the United States. With about 275 cancer professionals in attendance, AACI, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine sponsored Continuing Medical Education for the program.
AACI Executive Director Barbara Duffy Stewart welcomed two new members to AACI—the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, directed by Dr. Tyler Jacks, and the John Wayne Cancer Institute, headed by Dr. Lou Lazatin. Ms. Stewart also acknowledged AACI’s newest sustaining member, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and welcomed new board member Dr. Michelle LeBeau, director of the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center.
AACI President Dr. Edward Benz highlighted the association’s work with both the Institute of Medicine’s National Cancer Policy Forum, and its engagement with the Association of American Medical Colleges to study the workforce needs of AACI members and to identify recruitment and retention practices that can be shared across the centers.
AACI presented the 2008 AACI Public Service Award to U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Champion cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong accepted AACI’s Public Service and Advocacy Award, and Dr. Joseph V. Simone, Director, University of Florida Shands Cancer Center, received the 2008 AACI Distinguished Service Award.
Highlights of the meeting included an overview of cancer center programs and best practices in adult survivorship, and a panel discussion on cancer challenges and opportunities in the 21st century. A scientific session on cancer center investments in new science such as biomarkers, imaging, and tissue banks featured presentations by nationally recognized investigators. In addition, a session on states’ investments in cancer research included a report on the results of an AACI survey on the extent to which individual states fund cancer research and to what extent centers are involved in the development of state cancer control plans.
In a session for emerging centers, cancer center leaders shared successful strategies for developing robust research programs and building cancer centers with colleagues’ leading new and emerging cancer centers. The session highlighted methods of optimizing resources and sustaining growth and development in cancer centers.
The Cancer Center Administrators Forum (CCAF), which held its fall meeting in conjunction with the AACI annual meeting, developed programming to support the common research infrastructure at cancer centers and ultimately the nation’s cancer research enterprise as a whole. At the meeting, presenters offered practical advice for those involved in the Cancer Center Support Grant process, and Leo Buscher and John Speakman, of the National Cancer Institute, provided updates, respectively, on NCI grants management and NCI clinical trials reporting.
The Association acknowledged organizations that provided support for AACI educational activities, initiatives, and programs as well as CME grants in 2008. AACI recognized major support from Amgen at the Presenting Level. AACI also received CME approved educational grants from sanofi-aventis U.S., OSI Oncology, Eli Lilly and Company and Genentech BioOncology. In addition, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Percipienz Technologies and Velos provided generous support of ongoing AACI initiatives and programs.