<i>AACR Cancer Progress Report 2018</i>: Harnessing Research Discoveries for Patient Benefit
Authors: Rajarshi Sengupta, Karen Honey
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2018)

The American Association for Cancer Research is proud to announce the release of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Cancer Progress Report 2018. This eighth edition of the annual report details how the advances made across the clinical cancer care continuum between August 1, 2017 and July 31, 2018, are founded in research. The full report, and all seven prior editions, contains information of interest to the research community and the public, and it is freely available at (http://cancerprogressreport.org).The AACR Cancer Progress Report is a cornerstone of the AACR's efforts to educate the public about cancer and the importance of biomedical research, and to advocate for increased federal funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).As highlighted in the report, the pace at which basic research is deepening our knowledge of the complexity of cancer and the rate at which we are translating this knowledge to develop new and better approaches to cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment are both accelerating.One area of cancer treatment in which we are making extraordinary progress is immunotherapy. In the past decade, the number of immunotherapeutics has increased almost five-fold and the number of types of cancer that can be treated by at least one immunotherapeutic has more than tripled.The most recent immunotherapeutics to enter the clinic, CAR T-cell therapies, are revolutionary new treatments generated by genetic engineering of a patient's own immune cells to attack the patient's cancer cells. Expanding our knowledge about the immune system and how it interacts with cancer cells, and facilitating convergence of experts from an increasingly diverse array of disciplines will allow us to make even more pioneering advances in immunotherapy for the benefit of patients in the United States and around the world.The report also highlights research areas where there are significant gaps in our knowledge, such as the underlying causes of cancer health disparities, and the need for all sectors of the biomedical research community to come together to address this critical issue. Notably, the report illustrates how unwavering, bipartisan support from Congress, in the form of increased funding for the NIH, NCI, FDA, and CDC is vital if we are to keep the momentum at which we make lifesaving progress for everyone.The AACR Cancer Progress Report 2018 has eight main sections. The first section, “Cancer in 2018,” provides an overview of the current situation: Research has powered substantial progress against cancer, but the disease continues to exert a huge personal and financial toll both nationally and internationally. The second section, “Understanding Cancer Development,” is an overview of the underlying biology of cancer that provides the foundation for therapeutic advances against the disease.More than 40% of U.S. cancer cases are preventable, and the third section, “Preventing Cancer; Identifying Risk Factors,” delineates the common cancer risk factors and some of the policy and regulatory initiatives directed at cancer prevention.Regular personalized screenings can dramatically reduce the risk of developing or being diagnosed with certain advanced cancers, and the section on “Screening for Early Detection” explains the cancer screening tests that are used for early detection before an individual may show signs or symptoms of disease.The next section of the report, “Harnessing Research Discoveries for Patient Benefit,” describes recent advances across the continuum of clinical cancer care, including management of cancer survivorship issues. Highlighted in detail are the scientific bases for the new anticancer therapeutics approved by the FDA between August 1, 2017, and July 31, 2018, and how some of these therapeutics are transforming lives, like the lives of the courageous individuals featured in the report, who shared their experiences with cancer.The section, “Looking to The Future” highlights the new wave of innovations in oncology which are making their way from the bench to the clinic. Many researchers, including AACR President Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, are hopeful that these next breakthroughs in cancer research will transform patient care. As noted in the section, “Working Together to Overcome Cancer through Science-based, Patient-centered Public Policy,” this research will only be possible by federal investments that will help support a diverse research workforce, advance regulatory science initiatives, and allow us to pursue policies that advance cancer prevention, early detection, and control for individuals, families, and communities.Federal support for the NIH and NCI has made possible much of the remarkable progress against cancer detailed in the current as well as seven prior editions of the report. Thus, the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2018 concludes with a call to action to our elected leaders to pursue an appropriations strategy that provides annual funding increases that are robust, sustained, and predictable for the NIH, NCI, FDA, and CDC.Rajarshi Sengupta, Senior Project Manager, Cancer Progress Report, AACR and Karen Honey, Lead Science Writer, Cancer Progress Report, AACR.