Charles Swanton, MBPhD, FAACR

Welcome to day two of AACR 2021! The program begins today at 8:30 a.m. EDT with the Opening Ceremony, which will feature remarks from AACR Chief Executive Officer Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), presentations of the AACR Lifetime Achievement Award, Distinguished Public Service Award, and AACR Margaret Foti Award, and other special recognitions

Immediately following the Opening Ceremony at 10:15 a.m. EDT, the Opening Plenary Session: Discovery Science Driving Clinical Breakthroughs features a world-class roster of speakers who will present on a broad range of topics—from cutting-edge cell tracking research to advances in our understanding of tumor metabolism to clinical targeting in ethnically diverse populations—that encapsulate the bench-to-bedside aspects of cancer research and clinical treatment.

As this year marks the 50th Anniversary of the National Cancer Act, the landmark legislation that changed the landscape of cancer care and research, you definitely do not want to miss this year’s NCI Director’s Address which will be delivered by National Cancer Institute Director Norman E. Sharpless, MD, at 12:45 p.m. EDT. Sharpless will also respond to questions from the audience during a fireside chat with AACR President, Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, FAACR.

Hear more trial results this afternoon, beginning with the Clinical Trials Plenary Targeted Therapy and Ovarian Cancer Trials at 2 p.m. EDT, which will feature the latest results from the following studies:

• Primary results of phase 2 FOENIX-CCA2: the irreversible FGFR1-4 inhibitor futibatinib in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) with FGFR2 fusions/rearrangements;
• Efficacy and Safety of Selpercatinib in RET Fusion-Positive Cancers Other than Lung or Thyroid Cancers;
• Safety/Tolerability and preliminary antitumor activity of sitravatinib plus tislelizumab in patients with advanced platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC);
• TRX-E-002-1 in treatment-refractory ovarian cancer: Final phase 1 study results from the dose-escalation and dose-expansion cohorts

This afternoon’s clinical trials program also includes two Clinical Trials Minisymposia—Molecular Targeted Agents in the Clinic at 2 p.m. EDT and Clinical Trials with Novel Immuno-oncology Strategies at 4 p.m. EDT.

Early-career scientists will have an opportunity to showcase their work this afternoon in the second of three NextGen Stars Spotlight Sessions, Tumor Microenvironment, Metastasis, and Oncogenesis, which begins at 2 p.m. EDT.

This afternoon’s program includes five Minisymposia—Cancer Proteomics and Screening Technologies, New Therapeutics Targeting Molecular Drivers in Cancer, Mapping the Cellular and Molecular Cues That Control Therapeutic Antitumor Immunity, Metabolic Pathways in Cancer, and Developing and Applying Preclincal Cancer Models—all streaming concurrently at 2 p.m. EDT.

Rounding out the schedule today are three in-depth Forums — Biostatistics Debate: Should Science Be Guided by P-Values?, The Myths and Realities of the Abscopal Effects, and CAR T-Cell Therapy or T-Cell Engager?—streaming concurrently at 4 p.m. EDT.

Along with the live programming, the AACR 2021 program also features dozens of On Demand sessions that can be watched anytime. When viewing the On Demand sessions that include a live companion Panel Discussion, viewers can submit their questions in a Q&A box to the right of the video window. All of the questions for the On Demand sessions will reach the panelists for the live session.

Be sure to consult the final program for the most up-to-date information. Recordings of both live and On Demand sessions will be available for registered attendees to watch through June 21, 2021.