Since 1908, the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting has provided a stage for the top scientific minds from around the world to share the latest breakthroughs and discuss future directions in cancer research. While the COVID-19 pandemic has meant moving the stage to a virtual platform, the spirit and the focus of the Annual Meeting remain unchanged, said AACR President Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, FAACR.

“In the face of the enormous challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, from the front lines of clinical care to the basic science being conducted behind the scenes, the research and medical communities around the world have worked together to meet those challenges,” Ribas said. “In that same spirit, this year’s virtual AACR Annual Meeting will bring together cancer care and research professionals from across the globe to educate, collaborate, and celebrate our shared mission to translate scientific discovery to clinical treatment.”

Building on the success of last year’s first-ever virtual Annual Meeting, Ribas said, the Annual Meeting Program Committee has assembled a robust combination of live and on-demand programs showcasing the latest discoveries across the spectrum of cancer research under the theme of “Discovery Science Driving Clinical Breakthroughs.”  Click here for more information and to register for the AACR Annual Meeting.

“This year’s virtual program features everything you’ve come to expect from the AACR Annual Meeting—from cutting-edge science to practice-changing clinical trials to dedicated networking and professional development opportunities,” said Program Committee Chair Charles Swanton, MBPhD, FAACR. “In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of things in this world have been impacted, but the pace of innovation and discovery in cancer research has not slowed. Indeed, the past year has seen a wave of novel and significant research findings, all of which will be highlighted in the Annual Meeting program.”

In order to assemble the most comprehensive program possible and provide attendees the most opportunities to participate and engage, the Annual Meeting will take place over the course of two non-consecutive weeks.

“Week 1 of the meeting (April 10-15) will feature the Opening Ceremony, daily plenary sessions, major scientific sessions, and award lectures. This week will also include all of the proffered abstracts accepted for presentation, including late-breaking clinical trials,” Swanton said. “Week 2 (May 17-21) will feature a wide selection of education sessions, methods workshops, meet the expert sessions, and professional advancement sessions.”

All sessions will be available for viewing on demand through the virtual meeting platform so that participants can access all available presentations. Standard registration will include on-demand access to all sessions starting the day of the scheduled presentation and lasting through June 21, 2021.

“In addition to the world-class scientific program, the Annual Meeting will include a robust virtual Exhibit Show featuring a wide array of companies with the latest products and services for laboratory and clinical research,” Ribas said. “If you haven’t registered yet, there’s still time, so make plans now to join cancer researchers and cancer care professionals from around the world for two weeks of interactive and comprehensive educational programming and invaluable networking opportunities.”