What I noticed this year was further integration of genomic data into the research and clinical processes.
For example, nowadays when you have breast cancer, it is subtyped based on marker expression and genomic analysis. Based on the size and spread, the stage is determined as well. The subtype and stage generally guide how the treatment is done. We know a particular subtype responds to a particular drug, but not to other drugs.
The genomic information is becoming an integrated part of clinical practice. Researchers are identifying more markers for more cancers (e.g. liver, lung). The information will soon be a basis for novel clinical practice. Translation of information can be quite rapid.
A drug proven ineffective to a cancer can be repositioned to another cancer based on the genomic data. This way, they can save time, effort and money for costly drug development.
As I wrote in last year's entry, big meeting is a good opportunity to catch the trend, catch up with learning and networking, or even for "sightseeing" a research topic.
Overall cancer research is making a progress.
Although someone I know jokingly referred the big AACR meeting to "mega-church", and I sort of agreed with the comment, as long as progress is made, I wouldn't complain.
[The reception party on Sunday night. This dancing crowd is unusually educated bunch. 15% MD PhD, 26% PhD, 18% MD, 13% MS, 15% BS, 10% undergraduate, 3% other, something like that (maybe. this guesstimate is arbitrary and I will not take responsibility for the accuracy). There should be the AACR president himself here. People who know joys of life would value lives more, I suppose.]
[San Diego bay from the convention center]
