Good morning, and welcome to another great day at the AACR Annual Meeting 2025!

First up on today’s agenda, we have the Plenary Session on Targeting the Cancer Ecosystem at 8 a.m. CT in Hall B1, McCormick Place North (Level 3), with presentations on tumor heterogeneity and its impact on tumor immunogenicity, novel drug development strategies for targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME), the contributions of the TME to immunotherapy resistance, and the complex interactions that occur between the tumor and the TME as cancer progresses.

For those interested in clinical trial results, there are a lot of choices for you today! At 10:15 a.m. CT, you can check out the Updates from SABCS 2024 session in Room S103, McCormick Place South (Level 1), where researchers will report new data from studies presented at December’s San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), an annual meeting co-organized by AACR. The session includes studies on treatment response prediction models and APOBEC mutagenesis in treatment resistance, as well as the DESTINY-Breast03 and CALGB 40603 (Alliance) clinical trials. Need a refresher on what was presented at SABCS? Check out the AACR Blog’s great SABCS coverage!

And several more clinical trials results will be reported at the fourth and final Clinical Trials Plenary Session of the meeting at 10:15 a.m. CT in Arie Crown Theater, McCormick Lakeside Center (Level 2), and at the final Clinical Trials Minisymposium at 2:30 p.m. CT in Room S406 (Vista Ballroom), McCormick Place South (Level 4).

A Special Session on Bringing Science to the Clinic: Overcoming Hurdles for Therapeutic Translation will take place at 5 p.m. CT today in Room S100 A (Grand Ballroom A), McCormick Place South (Level 1) to shed light on the multifaceted challenges of therapeutic translation and to explore potential solutions to bring novel scientific advancements from the lab to the clinic. The session is chaired by AACR President-Elect Keith T. Flaherty, MD, FAACR, and Timothy A. Yap, MBBS, PhD, who, respectively, are the former and current editor-in-chief of Clinical Cancer Research, an AACR journal that focuses on innovative clinical and translational research.

If you want to hear about some of the latest therapeutic strategies under investigation, we have some great options for you, including:

• the Advances in Technologies Session called Reality Check: AI for Cancer Drug Discovery;
• the Advances in Diagnostics and Therapeutics Session on Bispecifics: The Case for Duality;
• the Major Symposium on Advances in Cancer Vaccines;
• the Major Symposium on Cardio-oncology: A Novel Platform for Investigation;
• the Major Symposium on A New Frontier for Combination Therapy: Identification and Pharmacologic Targeting of Malignant Cell States; and
• the Major Symposium on Adaptive Therapy from Board to Bench to Bedside and Back Again.

Of course, there is a fantastic lineup of sessions highlighting basic science discoveries, including:

• the Advances in Hematologic Malignancies Session on Epigenetics and RNA Modification in Hematologic Malignancies;
• the Major Symposium on the Influence of Diet and Metabolism on Cancer Cell State; and
• the Major Symposium on the Developmental Origins of Childhood Cancer.

In addition, several award recipients will deliver their award lectures:

• Peter Westcott, PhD, recipient of the AACR Gertrude B. Elion Cancer Research Award Lecture, will speak at noon CT in Room S402 of McCormick Place South (Level 4).
• Loїc Le Marchand, MD, PhD, MPH, recipient of the AACR-American Cancer Society Award for Research Excellence in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, will speak at 3 p.m. CT in Room E353 C of McCormick Lakeside Center (Level 3).
• Crystal L. Mackall, MD, FAACR, recipient of the AACR-Cancer Research Institute Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology, will speak at 3 p.m. CT in Room S105 of McCormick Place South (Level 1).
• Louis M. Staudt, MD, PhD, FAACR, recipient of the AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Blood Cancer Research, will speak at 4:30 p.m. CT in Room S105 of McCormick Place South (Level 1).
• Shelley L. Berger, PhD, FAACR, recipient of the AACR-Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Lectureship, will speak at 5 p.m. CT in Room S103 of McCormick Place South (Level 1).

And don’t forget about today’s Poster Sessions—the first from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT and the second from 2 to 5 p.m. CT in the Exhibit Hall.

This evening’s Forums will be held at 5 p.m. CT and will discuss AI-based biomarkers, patient-reported outcomes in clinical trials, and dietary interventions to improve treatment outcomes.

Part 2 of the Meet-the-Expert Sessions will also take place at 5 p.m., when you’ll have the opportunity to hear about the research journeys of Adrian C. Hayday, PhD; Katerina A. Politi, PhD; David M. Feldser, PhD; Paul Workman, PhD, FAACR; and Olufunmilayo I. Olopade, MD, FAACR. Stick around after their talks, and you may have the chance to chat with them!

Finally, end your day with some mentorship! An interactive career development forum, Mentoring is Alive!, at 5 p.m. CT in Great Lakes AB, Marriott Marquis Chicago, will feature a panel of former and current Minorities in Cancer Research Council members, who will candidly discuss their own career paths, answer questions, and offer strategies to overcome adversity. And attend the Professional Development Session on Building an Effective Mentorship Team: Essential Strategies at Every Stage in Your Career at 7 p.m. CT in Great Lakes EFG, Marriott Marquis Chicago, to learn how to build and take full advantage of an effective mentoring team whether you are a trainee, early-stage investigator, or a later stage investigator considering a career change.

Have a great day, and we’ll see you at tomorrow morning’s Plenary Session on Opportunities in Predictive Oncology!

For the most up-to-date program information, visit the AACR Annual Meeting App or Online Itinerary Planner.