AACI Commentary

Exploring Topics of Interest to AACI Cancer Centers

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 and distributed by email to the more than 2,200 readers 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. 

Please submit suggestions to: 

Chris Zurawsky
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
412-802-6775

Emily Stimmel
Communications and External Relations Coordinator
412-647-0504

Disclose and Manage

Recommendations From the AACI Conflict of Interest Task Force

By Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, and Leonidas C. Platanias, MD, PhD

In response to mounting concerns about the relationship between academic medicine and private industry as well as foreign entities, AACI convened a Conflict of Interest (COI) Task Force to help standardize COI policies at AACI’s member cancer centers. The diverse group included five cancer center directors, a leader of early phase clinical trials development, and a patient advocate, who reviewed the policies submitted by 38 of AACI’s 98 cancer centers.

When reporting scientific findings, cancer center transparency—including disclosure of financial relationships—is critical to assuring patients that cancer centers and physicians are always acting in their best interest. Given that academia has a major stake in drug development, there will inevitably be some conflicts of interest since scientists make new discoveries that ultimately benefit patients. Therefore, “disclose and manage” should be a guiding principle in conflict of interest oversight.

The COI Task Force formulated basic recommendations for best practices to ensure that all conflicts are fully disclosed and managed so that groundbreaking research and drug development continue to flourish at academic cancer centers.

AACI welcomes feedback on these recommendations. Comments will be incorporated into a formal presentation of the task force’s recommendations and panel discussion on Monday, October 21, during the AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

Read the July 2019 Commentary.
Read the COI Task Force Recommendations.