Abstract PL01-01: Effective translation of cancer discoveries to cancer treatment

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this presentation is to analyze the current status of translational research to understand the reasons for success, the barriers to further progress, and the insights that will continue to accelerate the enterprise. I will postulate that the most impactful drugs were developed because of specific observations about a type of malignancy rather than by studying targets in isolation. This will be tested by reviewing major scientific breakthroughs throughout the modern era of cancer treatment and will focus on the importance of biomarkers and companion diagnostic tests. Examples of how the merging of a deep understanding of a particular tumor type with modern cancer biology and cancer genomics will be presented. I will begin by attempting to define translation as the application of discoveries to the practice of medicine, a process that begins with a clinical observation that leads to a discovery, whose significance to a specific medical problem is recognized and acted upon. Each step in the process requires critical skill sets that span basic biology, pathology, pharmacology, clinical, and regulatory science. The challenges confronting those who participate have been carefully described and a variety of approaches to break down barriers are being continuously tested and upgraded. Although the success rate for drug development in oncology is lower than hoped, the number of new medical and biological entities moving into the clinic and on track for approval is immense, outpaces any other therapeutic area, and offers enormous hope to patients, physicians, and investigators alike. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr PL01-01. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-PL01-01