AACR Panel of Scientists
Some thoughts from Kate:
I’m here just outside of Washington for the AACR Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research conference. Smaller the the huge American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in the spring, this meeting focuses on research into how to prevent cancer.
I’m part of the Scientist-Survivor program, a special project that links cancer survivors with scientist mentors to help us understand the research being discussed here so we can bring it back to other survivors and advocates.
Sunday was a very busy first day. I attended sessions that focused on
- Inflammation as a key driver of cancer development and cancer as a subsequent driver of additional inflammation.
- Vitamin D: sunshine, supplements, and cancer prevention and potential treatment.
- Aging and cancer: an fascinating new way of looking at how cancer develops as the body protects itself in order to live longer.
There is a strong underpinning of molecular and genetic science behind new ideas here, a much more detailed and focused approach to how cancer develops and grows — and how cancer cells can be tricked into dying or at least not spreading and becoming dangerous. Understanding where cancer comes from helps us to attack it early in its development — hopefully long before it is actually cancer.
As part of the Scientist-Survivor program had an excellent discussion with an old friend Dr. Ernie Hawk, who has been involved in colon cancer prevention research for many years and who is now running a large cancer prevention program at M. D. Anderson. Dr. Hawk is a Scientist-Survivor mentor.
There are survivors and advocates from several different cancer sites and organizations who meet to talk about our work and how we can change the face of cancer in the future.
Great fun, much to learn! Stay tuned.
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