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. 2018 Dec;11(12):735-778.
doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-18-0421.

AACR White Paper: Shaping the Future of Cancer Prevention - A Roadmap for Advancing Science and Public Health

Scott M Lippman  1 , Cory Abate-Shen  2 , Karen L Colbert Maresso  3 , Graham A Colditz  4 , Andrew J Dannenberg  5 , Nancy E Davidson  6 , Mary L Disis  7 , Raymond N DuBois  8 , Eva Szabo  9 , Anna R Giuliano  10 , William N Hait  11 , J Jack Lee  12 , Thomas W Kensler  13 , Barnett S Kramer  14 , Paul Limburg  15 , Anirban Maitra  16 , Maria Elena Martinez  17 , Timothy R Rebbeck  18 , Kathryn H Schmitz  19 , Eduardo Vilar  20 , Ernest T Hawk  21
Affiliations

AACR White Paper: Shaping the Future of Cancer Prevention - A Roadmap for Advancing Science and Public Health

Scott M Lippman et al. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2018 Dec.

Abstract

The recent pace, extent, and impact of paradigm-changing cancer prevention science has been remarkable. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) convened a 3-day summit, aligned with five research priorities: (i) Precancer Atlas (PCA). (ii) Cancer interception. (iii) Obesity-cancer linkage, a global epidemic of chronic low-grade inflammation. (iv) Implementation science. (v) Cancer disparities. Aligned with these priorities, AACR co-led the Lancet Commission to formally endorse and accelerate the NCI Cancer Moonshot program, facilitating new global collaborative efforts in cancer control. The expanding scope of creative impact is perhaps most startling-from NCI-funded built environments to AACR Team Science Awarded studies of Asian cancer genomes informing global primary prevention policies; cell-free epigenetic marks identifying incipient neoplastic site; practice-changing genomic subclasses in myeloproliferative neoplasia (including germline variant tightly linked to JAK2 V617F haplotype); universal germline genetic testing for pancreatic cancer; and repurposing drugs targeting immune- and stem-cell signals (e.g., IL-1β, PD-1, RANK-L) to cancer interception. Microbiota-driven IL-17 can induce stemness and transformation in pancreatic precursors (identifying another repurposing opportunity). Notable progress also includes hosting an obesity special conference (connecting epidemiologic and molecular perspectives to inform cancer research and prevention strategies), co-leading concerted national implementation efforts in HPV vaccination, and charting the future elimination of cancer disparities by integrating new science tools, discoveries and perspectives into community-engaged research, including targeted counter attacks on e-cigarette ad exploitation of children, Hispanics and Blacks. Following this summit, two unprecedented funding initiatives were catalyzed to drive cancer prevention research: the NCI Cancer Moonshot (e.g., PCA and disparities); and the AACR-Stand Up To Cancer bold "Cancer Interception" initiative.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest

M.L. Disis reports receiving commercial research grants from EpiThany, Celgene, Seattle Genetics, Silverback Therapeutics, EMD Serono, Pfizer, and Janssen Research & Development, LLC and has ownership interest in EpiThany and the University of Washington. R.N. DuBois is a consultant/advisory board member for SU2C, Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation, AACR, and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). A.R. Giuliano reports that her primary employer (Moffit Cancer Center) receives commercial research grant support from Merck & Co.; she receives honoraria from and serves as a consultant/advisory board member for the same. P. Limburg serves as co-Chief Medical Officer for Exact Sciences through a contracted services agreement with Mayo Clinic; he and Mayo Clinic receive royalties from Exact Sciences through this agreement. E. Vilar-Sanchez is a consultant/advisory board member for Janssen Research & Development, LLC. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed by the other authors.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The promise of prevention.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Translational research phases resulting in evidence-based clinical and public health actions to result in impactful cancer control.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
The course of cancer and levels of prevention.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Emmons KM, Colditz GA. Realizing the potential of cancer prevention - the role of implementation science. N Engl J Med 2017;376:986–90. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Colditz GA, Wolin KY, Gehlert S. Applying what we know to accelerate cancer prevention. Sci Transl Med 2012; 4:127. - PMC - PubMed

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