This year marks the first San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium to include the collaborative efforts of the American Association for Cancer Research, the Cancer Therapy and Research Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the Baylor College of Medicine.

Nearly 8,000 scientists and other professionals will gather at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio from December 10-14, 2008, to hear and present the latest scientific findings in breast cancer research.

"SABCS is arguably the best breast cancer research meeting in the world, and with the addition of high quality science, credibility and outreach efforts from the American Association for Cancer Research, this collaboration will garner further scientific prominence," said Karen K. Fields, M.D., president and chief executive officer at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center.

The number of abstracts submitted for this year's symposium increased by 17 percent over last year from 1,181 to 1,414. Consequently, the program has been extended by a full day to include more educational programs.

"The AACR is delighted to have the opportunity to work 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 the American Association for Cancer Research. "The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is already an outstanding meeting. Clearly, the expert input of the AACR enhances interactions between basic and clinical researchers."

In addition to the program, the San Antonio meeting will include three press briefings for the media: Drugs in the Pipeline: Thursday, December 11 at 2:00 p.m., Central Time. New data on zoledronic acid, aromatase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies

Biomarkers: Friday, December 12 at 10:00 a.m., Central Time. New data on biologic changes that accurately predict risk and response

Patient Management and Quality of Life: Friday, December 12 at 2:00 p.m., Central Time. New strategies for combating a multi-faceted disease

The mission of the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is to produce a unique and comprehensive 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. The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and Baylor College of Medicine are joint sponsors of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. This collaboration utilizes the clinical strengths of the CTRC and Baylor, and the AACR's scientific prestige in basic, translational and clinical cancer research to expedite the delivery of the latest scientific advances into the clinic. The 31st Annual Symposium is expected to draw more than 8,500 participants from more than 80 countries.

Source
Jeremy Moore
American Association of Cancer Research
http://www.aacr.org