Challenging Cancer in 2016: A Year in Review
Tackling cancer complexities in 2016 at the Academy.
Published December 19, 2016

It is estimated that more than a million new cases of cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year, but research presented in 2016 at the Academy provided innovative insights and progress in the fight to eradicate cancer across the lifespan. From exposing genetic vulnerabilities to highlighting promising treatments, the Academy brought together leading experts for events on a range of cancer-related topics to further our understanding and propel towards improved treatments—and ultimately, a cure.
![]() | PodcastUnderstanding the Biological Basis of Pediatric CancerAdvances in genomic medicine indicate that pediatric cancers may be quite different from their adult counterparts. Hear from experts on why this might be and what scientists are doing to understand it better. |
![]() | eBriefingDisease Drivers of Aging: The 2016 Advances in Geroscience SummitThis eBriefing looks at how chronic diseases—specifically HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and cancer—affect aging, with a focus on the seven mechanistic pillars of aging. |
![]() | eBriefingEmerging Approaches to Cancer ImmunotherapyCancer immunotherapy, which engages the immune system to detect and destroy cancer cells, has gained popularity and success in recent years. This eBriefing features investigational approaches to better engineer or train the immune system to improve its responses, combat treatment resistance, and avoid adverse effects. |
![]() | News ItemPersistence Pays Off for Neuroblastoma Researcher, Fifteen Years LaterLearn how John Maris, MD, got to the heart of the (genetic) matter in his research. |
![]() | eBriefingEpigenetics: Cancer and BeyondEpigenetic abnormalities contribute to tumorigenesis and various diseases beyond cancer. This eBriefing describes recent progress in validating the therapeutic potential of small molecule inhibitors targeting epigenetic marks. |
![]() | eBriefingPhenotypic and Biomarker-based Drug DiscoveryThis eBriefing considers the merits of phenotypic drug discovery, which is experiencing a renaissance of interest. The method aims to find therapeutically useful compounds by screening thousands of substances for functional cellular outputs. |
![]() | eBriefingSohn Conference: Pediatric Cancer in a Post-genomic WorldThis eBriefing covers the latest research on pediatric cancers, including topics such as etiological differences between pediatric and adult cancers, epigenetics, mechanisms of metastasis and disease recurrence, risk factors, diagnostics, and novel treatment approaches. |
![]() | News ItemNew Cancer Therapies Aim Above & Beyond the GenomeCancer researcher Christopher Vakoc, PhD, goes “above the genome” in search for leukemia drug targets. |