The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is an organization dedicated to preventing and curing cancer through research, advocacy, education, and communication. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, AACR was founded in 1907 by a group of 11 physicians and scientists interested in research and study that would “further the investigation and spread the knowledge of cancer.”
Through its programs and services, AACR is dedicated to promoting research in cancer and other biomedical sciences. The association is also dedicated to disseminating new research findings in cancer research among scientists and others who are also adamantly searching for a cure. AACR promotes science education and training, and advances the understanding of cancer etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment throughout the world. The association believes that, more than anything else, the answer to the cure for cancer will come from persistent and continual research. The AACR prides itself on being an authoritative source on the advances of the causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease. By accelerating and informing the public of new advances in cancer research, the AACR is at the forefront of the search for a cure. For AACR, it is imperative that many join the fight to cure cancer because it is not a single disease, but 200 different and distinct diseases.
AACR is the oldest and largest organization in the world focused on cancer education and research. Its reputation for breadth and caliber is unparalleled and draws the field’s most brilliant researchers. The programs and services of AACR foster the exchange of ideas among scientists, while also providing training for the next generation of brilliant cancer researchers. AACR produces six, peer-reviewed scientific journals: Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research, Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, Molecular Cancer Research, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, Cancer Prevention Research, and CR. The latter is a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians and dentists that AACR hopes will serve as a forum for sharing and discussing evidence-based information on cancer treatment, progress, and advocacy.
AACR also holds topical conferences and an annual meeting that draw over 17,000 individuals in the cancer research community. The association, perhaps most importantly, raises awareness, with the help of cancer survivors, on the importance of continued cancer research and advocates for federal funding. To that end, AACR offers workshops, fellowships and grants to early career investigators, as well as those who are interested in dedicating themselves to the field.
In order to successfully fulfill such an undertaking as working toward a cure, AACR must rely on many professionals who come together as a team. Current President Tyler Jacks, PhD, is Director of the David H. Koch Institute of Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. President-elect is Elizabeth H. Blackburn, PhD who is a Morris Herzstein Professor in the Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics at The University of California-San Francisco. Treasurer is Bayard D. Clarkson, MD Member and Head of the Laboratory of Hematopoietic Cell Kinetics at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. The Chief Executive Officer of AACR is Margaret Foti, PhD, MD(h.c.), who is with the AACR. All officers are also members of the Board of Directors. The AACR also depends on its experienced group of directors, its Council of Scientific Advisors, and its various committees to help with its daunting job of searching for a cure for cancer.
AACR is part of a coalition called Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C), a movement that unites major television networks, entertainment industry executives and celebrities, and prominent leaders in cancer research and patient advocacy to promote laboratory and clinic research. SU2C is founded on the belief that there is now an advanced understanding of the intricacies of cancer from a scientific standpoint, but that now is the time to take the information that has been learned and apply it to clinics in order to make advancements in patient care and cancer prevention. The ultimate goal of SU2C is to raise funds from the most promising research opportunities in order to further cancer treatment and patient care. AACR’s Scientific Advisory Committee is armed with the task of choosing the projects that will be funded with donations.
In addition to the aforementioned functions, AACR also keeps track of and informs the public about current and developing cancer policy via its Cancer Policy Monitor on its website. It is also dedicated to publishing a monthly newsletter that keeps the public abreast of developments in cancer research. AACR is a veteran in the fight for a cure and is dedicated to helping cancer patients live full and enjoyable lives. The work the association does is invaluable, and it will be showered with overwhelming gratitude when a cure is found.