Conference highlights new biological advances in diagnosis and prognosis of lung cancer

Promising results from Phase II clinical trials and important biological advances in diagnosis and prognosis will be presented here, at the conference on Molecular Origins of Lung Cancer from Jan. 11-14, 2010. This conference is jointly sponsored by the AACR and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer kills more people than breast, prostate, kidney, colon, liver and skin cancers combined, but emerging scientific exploration offers some reason for hope in the fight against lung cancer, according to Roy Herbst, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the section of thoracic medical oncology at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

"Since the discovery of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene mutation almost five years ago, lung cancer has truly become a field where personalized molecular therapy is a part of day-to-day treatment," said Herbst, who is also a chairperson of this conference. "We are now trying to uncover mechanisms of resistance and other targeted pathways that can be used to further our progress against this deadly disease."

In an effort to assist the news media in its coverage of this conference, Herbst will host a media roundtable on "Personalized Therapy for Lung Cancer: Are We Ready for Prime Time?" on Jan. 12, 2010, at 1:00 p.m. PT, in the Sovereign Room of the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in Coronado, Calif.

Herbst will be joined by the following panelists, who will present exciting new data and analysis from the conference on this emerging field:

•Tyler Jacks, Ph.D., president of the American Association for Cancer Research and director of the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
•Paul A. Bunn Jr., M.D., professor of medicine and James Dudley chair in cancer research at the University of Colorado, Denver;
•David Carbone, M.D., Ph.D., Harold L. Moses chair in cancer research and director of the Specialized Program of Research Excellence in Lung Cancer at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center; and
•Matthew Meyerson, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pathology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Broad Institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University

Reporters who cannot attend this press conference in person may call in to participate by using the following information:

•U.S. & Canada: (888) 282-7404
•International: (706) 679-5207
•Access Code: 48008346
•Topic: AACR

The American Association for Cancer Research Communications Department has issued press releases on new research being presented at the conference.