To promote the work of its member centers, AACI publishes Commentary, an editorial series focusing on major issues of common interest to North American cancer centers.
Each AACI Commentary is written by a cancer center leader or subject matter expert and distributed by email to subscribers of the AACI Update newsletter.
The publication is designed to cover a specific topic in 750-1,000 words. Recommendations for topics and authors are encouraged.
Chris Zurawsky
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
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Emily Stimmel
Communications and External Relations Manager
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By Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD
All disciplines involved in cancer research and care delivery share a common goal – to dramatically improve the lives of people with cancer and, ideally, prevent people from ever having to face the disease. President Biden has called for us to reduce age-adjusted cancer mortality by 50 percent in 25 years as a key benchmark toward that goal. Thanks to a recent analysis by National Cancer Institute (NCI) researchers published in Cancer Discovery, it is clear that we need to make faster progress against the most common cancers—and also achieve better results for people with all other cancers—to attain a 50 percent mortality reduction by 2047. Further, we must eliminate disparities that contribute to worse outcomes for some populations. I believe we can reach the day when all people live full and active lives, free from cancer’s harmful effects – but it clearly will take action from all of us to achieve this.
As long-standing leaders of progress against cancer, U.S. cancer centers play a vital role in achieving these goals. Your institutions lead research programs that deliver new and better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. You also provide the substantial training infrastructure required to empower a diverse research workforce equipped to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of scientific possibility.
Read the May 2023 Commentary.
A Call for Engagement: AACI Cancer Centers and the National Cancer Plan
By Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD
May 2023
Collaborating to Improve Clinical Trial Activation Timelines
By Tara L. Lin, MD, and Theresa L. Werner, MD
April 2023
Fostering DEI, Providing Culturally Competent Care, and Eliminating the "Minority Tax" at AACI Cancer Centers
By Yolanda Sanchez, PhD
March 2023
Time to Step Outside the Box, Look Back, and PAUSE
By George J. Weiner, MD
February 2023
Best Practices for Maximizing the Value Added By External Advisory Boards
By Anita L. Harrison, MPA
January 2023
Low NCI Paylines and Grant Success Rates Compromise Research Potential
By Roy A. Jensen, MD; Steven K. Libutti, MD, FACS; Thomas J. Lynch, Jr., MD; and Leonidas
C. Platanias, MD, PhD
December 2022
Collaboration is Key to Advancing Precision Medicine in Prostate Cancer Treatment
By Heather Cheng, MD, PhD, and Channing Paller, MD
November 2022
The 2022 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting: Cancer Center Collaboration Meets Federal Cancer Policy
By Cornelia Ulrich, MS, PhD
October 2022
CTO Staff Retention Task Force Recommendations: Retaining and Recruiting Top Talent Amid the Great Resignation
By Leonidas C. Platanias, MD, PhD
September 2022
Democratizing Artificial Intelligence: Bringing Automated Machine Learning Technologies to Basic, Translational, and Clinical Cancer Researchers
By Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, and Jason H. Moore, PhD
August 2022
Enhancing the Diversity of the Cancer Leadership Pipeline
By Caryn Lerman, PhD
July 2022
2022 AACI/AACR Hill Day Highlights Importance of Strong Funding, Continued Advocacy
By Jaren Love
June 2022
Driving Change in Lung Cancer: Cancer Centers Must Ensure That Lung Screening Reaches Those Who Can Benefit Most
By Candace S. Johnson, PhD
May 2022
Marketing and the Physician Outreach Team
By Erin McElwain, MHA, and Heidi Findlay
April 2022
Repairing Damage to Clinical Trials Office Staffing
By Kristie Moffett
March 2022
Our Best Defense Against Cancer: Robust Funding is Essential to Continued Research Progress
By Roy A. Jensen, MD
February 2022