Record Year for AACR Annual Meeting 2024: Summary of Cutting-Edge Science and More!  

June 11, 2024 by

It was a record year for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2024. Not only were there more registrants than ever—over 23,200 with more than 22,000 in person in San Diego from 78 countries and territories—but the 115th edition of this meeting received its most ever abstracts (over 7,250) and featured its largest ever clinical program with over 240 trials, including 24 in phase III.   

Focusing on the theme of “Inspiring Science, Fueling Progress, Revolutionizing Care,” the meeting featured the latest from across the cancer research continuum, including plenary sessions on early cancer biology, tumor microenvironments, metastasis, and artificial intelligence (AI), with so much more covered throughout the program.  

Among the highlights from this year’s trials were updates about a couple of cancer vaccines in phase I that we wrote about here on Cancer Research Catalyst and were featured in the press program. Speaking of press, more than 200 reporters covered the meeting, which was held from April 5-10, generating nearly 6,000 media clips to date. One of the stories that generated the most buzz was a study on the impact of accelerated aging on early-onset cancer, which several high-profile outlets were drawn to, including CNN. 

The buzz about this year’s presentations, which included nearly 730 invited speakers from 20 countries, was also palpable on social media. More than 6,750 people took to Twitter/X to share over 28,000 tweets using #AACR24—generating another record for the meeting with 571 million impressions. 

Nearly 275 scientific sessions were live streamed and can still be viewed on the virtual platform until September 3. 

But if you missed anything from the meeting, or just want a refresher of some of the most fascinating topics to emerge this year, then you have come to the right place. Cancer Research Catalyst has been on top of everything from before the meeting to well after to make sure you can catch up on all the exciting cancer research advances presented. Here is a recap of the topics covered so far but expect more content featuring insights from the meeting in the weeks ahead.