The unity of the cancer research community was on full display at the AACR Annual Meeting 2025 Opening Ceremony as thousands of researchers, physician-scientists, patient advocates, and all others in attendance rose to their feet, cheered, and waved placards that read: “Cancer Research Saves Lives.”

Those words represent the reason why more than 21,700 people from 81 countries are at this year’s Annual Meeting, why the AACR has more than 59,000 members around the globe in 142 countries, and why support for cancer research funding is so crucial.

As AACR CEO Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), reminded attendees, the relentless dedication of researchers has led to remarkable progress as cancer mortality has decreased 34% over the past three decades. However, she also pointed out that cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide with projections indicating a marked increase in cancer deaths in the United States by 2050.

“At a time when the scientific community is making enormous strides in these and many, many other areas of cancer research, continued investments in biomedical discovery research are critically important,” Foti said. “Sadly, the Administration’s ongoing actions, which are impacting medical research funding in the U.S., are threatening to curtail the progress we have made and stymie future advances.”  

With every AACR accomplishment mentioned, new AACR initiative announced, and award winner who took the stage, the Opening Ceremony reinforced the AACR’s long-standing commitment to driving scientific advances against cancer and advocating for cancer research funding that leads to improved patient care—no matter the challenges.

New Trailblazer Cancer Research Grants Among AACR’s Latest Initiatives

The AACR has been a proud funder of research grants since 1993, Foti explained, with more than $8 million granted in 2024 alone. But in 2025, the AACR plans to do even more.

“As part of our expanded efforts to address the funding challenges facing today’s cancer researchers—and especially the next generation of cancer researchers—AACR is stepping up to the plate and launching a bold new grant program in addition to our already existing funding programs,” Foti said.

The new AACR Trailblazer Cancer Research Grants will award nine grants of $1 million each to early-stage investigators and six grants of $1 million each to mid-career investigators, distributed over three years. This $15 million total investment represents the largest single grant program the AACR has ever offered. 

Additionally, Foti said the AACR’s newly launched Education Division will be expanding education, training, and professional development programs to further help young professionals who are AACR members—both in the United States and abroad.

“As we all know, it takes a global effort to eradicate the scourge of cancer,” Foti said, which is why in 2024 the AACR eliminated membership dues for researchers in countries that are building research capacities to expand the number of investigators who can enjoy the benefits of AACR membership.

AACR President Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, PhD (hc), FAACR, also made global initiatives one of her priorities during her presidency. Recently, she traveled to Kenya with AACR staff to launch the first phase of a new AACR initiative to develop educational opportunities at African institutions to help create and sustain a thriving clinical cancer research workforce.  

“This initiative and so many others to which I have had the privilege of contributing during my presidency make me incredibly honored to be a part of this esteemed organization,” LoRusso said.

Among the other exciting AACR initiatives LoRusso and Foti mentioned during the ceremony was the launch of the AACR Center for Cancer Clinical Trials, which will allow the AACR to take an active role in designing and executing clinical trials. This includes an AACR-sponsored trial in gastroesophageal cancers that should start enrolling patients by the end of this year. The organization will also publish the first-ever AACR Pediatric Cancer Progress Report in November, host a new Special Conference on early-onset cancers in December, and take the ever-popular Rally for Medical Research “On the Road” by organizing local meetings and events in representative’s home states when Congress is in recess.

AACR Recognizes Individuals and Teams Making a Difference in the Field

During the ceremony, a number of people were recognized for their contributions to cancer research, including award recipients Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, FAACR, William N. Hait, MD, PhD, FAACR, the MSK-IMPACT Team, Richard Pazdur, MD, and this year’s AACR June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism winners. Additionally, 25 of the 33 newly elected Fellows of the AACR Academy took the stage to receive a round of applause for their extraordinary scientific accomplishments.

Three individuals were also lauded for their tireless efforts to support and advocate for investment in lifesaving science. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Larry Saltzman, MD, a survivor of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and former executive research director for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, were each recognized with a Distinguished Public Service Award.

Saltzman, who has participated in six clinical trials and survived 10 relapses thanks to a dozen different treatments, is living proof of the impact of cancer research.

It is because of examples like this that LoRusso ended the Opening Ceremony by declaring, “Cancer is still a formidable threat, and cancer research is the answer! Let’s remind the world what we have long known, that ‘Cancer Research Saves Lives!’”