Cancer research giants to present the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has announced a collaboration for the future of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS).

The announcement came at the 30th Annual Charles A. Coltman Jr. San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. As a result of the collaboration, the symposium will be renamed the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium beginning in 2008. Complementing the clinical strengths of the highly regarded annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, the AACR's scientific prestige in basic, translational and clinical cancer research will create a unique and comprehensive scientific meeting that will advance breast cancer research for the benefit of patients.The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium attracts academic and private physicians and researchers, as well as other health care professionals focused on curing breast cancer, to discuss and learn about new and late-breaking research including experimental biology, etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of breast cancer and pre-malignant breast disease, as well as new findings from clinical trials. A primary goal of the CTRC-AACR collaboration is to attract to the meeting more thought-leaders and high-quality proffered papers in basic and translational breast cancer research. Another key goal is to increase the participation of young investigators by providing superior education and training opportunities for the next generation of breast cancer researchers.

The driving force behind the collaboration is the shared mission of the partners to advance progress against breast cancer. By combining their respective strengths, the partnership will produce a scientific meeting that encompasses the full spectrum of breast cancer research, facilitating the rapid translation of new knowledge into better care for breast cancer patients.

“As the founder of the SABCS, the CTRC and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio will work together with the AACR to provide a unique forum for the scholarly discussion of the latest advances in the etiology, prevention and treatment of breast cancer,” said Karen K. Fields, M.D., president and chief executive officer at CTRC. “SABCS is arguably the best breast cancer research meeting in the world, and with the addition of AACR's high-quality science, credibility and outreach, this collaboration will be synergistic and garner further scientific prominence.”

“The AACR is delighted to have the opportunity to partner with CTRC and Baylor College of Medicine in presenting this meeting to the breast cancer community,” said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), chief executive officer at AACR. “The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is already an outstanding meeting. Clearly, the expert input of the AACR will enhance interactions between basic and clinical researchers and expedite the delivery of the latest scientific advances into the clinic.”

Under the terms of a mutual agreement between The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and AACR, the AACR will contribute to program development and oversight of the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. The AACR will also create and obtain funding for a new award and lecture for outstanding breast cancer research conducted by a young investigator. In addition, the AACR will support scholar-in-training awards for meeting attendance by early-career and minority scientists.

In 2005, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) became a joint sponsor of the symposium and will remain in the CTRC-AACR collaboration. C. Kent Osborne, M.D., director of the Dan. L. Duncan Cancer Center at BCM, will continue to serve as SABCS chair and three co-chairs will represent each of the partners. The program planning committee of the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium will have broad representation by national and international breast cancer experts.

The 2007 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is expected to draw nearly 8,300 participants from more than 80 countries and runs from December 13 to 16, 2007.

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