AACR COVID-19 and Cancer Virtual Meeting: A Roundup of Blog Posts
As the COVID-19 pandemic began crossing the globe, scientists from many disciplines anticipated its scope and deployed their research and clinical skills to fight it.
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) leaders were no exception. AACR President-Elect David Tuveson, MD, PhD, FAACR, said that as COVID-19 spread, cancer researchers quickly mobilized to assess the effects the virus would have on cancer patients.
“We were particularly worried about cancer patients because they are vulnerable to additional illnesses while undergoing treatment due to attenuation of the immune response,” Tuveson told Cancer Research Catalyst. “Throughout its 113 years of existence, the AACR has helped advance cancer research and educate people about cancer. It became apparent early on during the COVID-19 pandemic that the AACR needed to be involved in addressing the pandemic, too.“
Tuveson served as program committee chair of the AACR Virtual Meeting: COVID-19 and Cancer, held July 20-22. Featuring a keynote address from Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the meeting provided a forum for timely insights on the virus, its effects on cancer patients, new approaches to detect the virus and treat patients, and how many members of the cancer research community are refocusing their work to glean knowledge on COVID-19.
Cancer Research Catalyst provided full coverage of the meeting. We’ll continue to write about new insights into the interaction between COVID-19 and cancer; in the meantime, here’s a look at our posts from the meeting.
“We Have to Be Involved”: A Preview of the AACR Virtual Meeting on COVID-19 and Cancer
Dr. Fauci Launches Meeting with Keynote Address
The Distressing Intersection of the Pandemic and Noncommunicable Diseases
Cancer Researchers Shift Focus to the Pandemic
Tracking the Evolution and Spread of SARS-CoV-2
