News
NCI Director to Present at Annual Meeting
Photo of Dr. Anthony Letai courtesy of National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director Anthony Letai, MD, PhD, will report on the current status of the national cancer research enterprise at 11:15 am central time on Tuesday, October 27, during the closing session of the 2026 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting. A longstanding highlight of the annual meeting, the NCI Director's Report provides crucial updates on funding mechanisms, priorities, and goals for NCI-Designated Cancer Centers.An advocate for research that can quickly bring new, effective treatments to patients, Dr. Letai co-founded the Society for Functional Precision Medicine, which works to improve patient care and outcomes by supporting the use of functional assays in clinical care. Dr. Letai has identified reducing clinical trial activation timelines as a top national cancer priority and recently tapped AACI to form the Accelerating Clinical Trials Steering Committee to address the issue.
The 2026 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting is scheduled for October 25-27 at the Marriott Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile. Registration is available at the regular rate through Wednesday, September 30. The cost of registration will increase on Thursday, October 1.
The following meetings will be held in conjunction with the annual meeting:
2026 Impact Summit | Saturday, October 24
Hosted by AACI in partnership with the Cancer Center Network, the Impact Summit will bring together cancer center leaders, researchers, and key stakeholders to strengthen the future of cancer center leadership and workforce development.
2026 AACI Leadership Development Workshop | Saturday, October 24-Sunday, October 25
The AACI Leadership Development Workshop (LDW) convenes emerging leaders to enhance the oncology leadership pipeline with top talent. The LDW was launched as part of the Leadership Diversity and Development Initiative, the AACI presidential initiative of Caryn Lerman, PhD.
2026 New Cancer Center Directors Meeting | Saturday, October 24
This invitation-only meeting brings together new cancer center leaders with their peers and seasoned cancer center directors for candid discussions on cancer center leadership. Please contact AACI Program Coordinator Chloe Boothby with any questions
2026 AACI Government Relations Forum | Monday, October 26
(Session not CME accredited; pre-registration required)
The Government Relations Forum brings together government relations professionals from AACI cancer centers to network and discuss timely public policy topics.
Annual Meeting Support Opportunities and Benefits
AACI offers a range of support opportunities and packages for the annual meeting and pre-conference events. For more information on becoming a meeting exhibitor or supporter, please contact AACI Development Manager Chelsea Borries.
Program Book Ad Specifications
Promote your cancer center by purchasing an ad in the digital program book. Artwork should be submitted to AACI Director of Communications Emily Stimmel by Friday, September 18 to ensure inclusion in the event program.
Full page (4.5” W x 7.5” H): $2,500
Half page (4.5” W x 3.5” H): $1,500
Ads should be created using the correct dimensions. Ad submissions should be exported in one of the following file formats: JPG, PDF, TIF, or PNG. Ads must be high-resolution (300 ppi/dpi). When submitting ad artwork, please provide a target URL for digital linking purposes. All images used, such as logos and photography, must be free of copyright infringements.