The 2025 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting is being held October 19-21, 2025, at the Salamander in Washington, DC.
Presented jointly by the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) and the Cancer Center Administrators Forum (CCAF), this three-day convening brings together cancer-center leadership with national research, advocacy, industry, and government stakeholders.
Wafik S. El-Deiry, Director of Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University and Chair of the WIN Consortium in Cancer Personalized Medicine, shared some key highlghts from AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting:
“The 2025 AACI (Association of American Cancer Institutes) annual meeting officially gets underway in Washington, DC.”
Naoko Takebe Joins Stephenson Cancer Center
“Great to see Naoko Takebe now at Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma. Look forward to ongoing and future collaborations with colleagues including CV Rao, Andre De Souza and others.”
Honoring Dr. Rob Winn’s AACI Leadership
“Great to see Dr. Rob Winn current AACI (Association of American Cancer Institutes) President AACI2025 and honored to work with him on his presidential initiative over the last couple of years.
Inspiring as always opening presentation by Dr. Rob Winn AACI (Association of American Cancer Institutes) President AACI2025 as he spoke about US AACI cancer center culture of collaboration and advocacy to improve lives.
He congratulated Drs. Thomas Grajewski, Recipient of 2025 AACI Distinguished Scientist Award, John Carpten for the 2025 AACI Cancer Health Equity Award, The 11 Day Power Play, Inc for the 2025 AACI Champion for Cures Award, US Senator Katie Boyd Britt and US Representative Joaquin Castro for the 2025 AACI Public Service Awards.
Dr. Winn discussed prior AACI Presidential Initiatives including his Presidential Initiative on Inclusive Excellence, Global Oncology Activities, the National Community Advisory Board Collaboration, the AACI Cancer Center Director Town Hall meetings and Advocacy efforts.
He advised that scientists collect data but should bring themselves to advocate with the data and to tell their stories.
He ended with a story about Bob Marley who, after being diagnosed with brain cancer, said to a reporter ‘You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.’
Dr. Winn received a standing ovation from the audience at the 2025 AACI meeting.”
Insights from the 2025 AACI Global Oncology Session
“Outstanding and very informative session on Global Oncology at the 2025 Annual AACI (Association of American Cancer Institutes) meeting AACI 2025
Dr. Patrick J. Loehrer, Sr. who chaired the AACI Global Oncology Working Group described a disproportionate burden with increasing incidence of cancer in low-Income countries compared to high-income countries, a global cancer crisis with over 70 countries where cancer is the leading cause of premature death, 70% late stage diagnoses often in low and middle income countries, a burden on children where out of 300,000 children diagnosed with cancer globally annually 100,000 are in sub-Saharan Africa where 90% of children die compared with >80% survival in the US., few physicians in Africa, Africa has 1.5% of cancer clinical trials and 90% are in Egypt and South Africa. The Committee provided key recommendations to AACI leadership.
Dr. Julie Gralow gave the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) perspective and mentioned that 40% of ASCO members are international, ASCO Center for Global Impact, Regional Councils and Advisory Groups, a global focus for Conquer Cancer Grants, ASCO Global Oncology Taskforce recommendations for training, research and practice, professional development and partnerships, and interest by early career oncology faculty in global oncology.
Dr. Kunle Odunsi spoke about global oncology at U. Chicago with a global footprint, efforts of Dr. Olufunmilayo (Funmi) Olopade in developing the African Cancer Leaders Institute (ACLI) in 2013 in collaboration with the African Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (AORTIC), and impressive accomplishment metrics, insights into breast cancer in blacks that took into account genetic ancestry and migration, a collaborative biobank research project he was involved with in GYN cancer to increase clinical trials in Africa, and a pediatric cancer data commons with 45,000 cases from 40 countries.
Dr. Katherine Van Loon University of California, San Francisco and EIC of JCO Global Oncology spoke about the global cancer program at UCSF. She mentioned the program’s regional hubs around the world, progress on research and training in Tanzania, efforts in Mexico, LISTOS program in cancer screening, efforts in Vietnam, her 2024 JNCI roadmap article to establish global oncology at UCSF NCI-designated cancer center, impact of global oncology on her institution and career.
I am very glad that at our LegorretaCancerCenter we have Stephanie Graff as our Associate Director for Global Oncology and Policy.”
Dr. Ruben Mesa Highlights Collaboration in Cancer Careers
“Dr. Ruben Mesa, Chair of the 2025 Annual AACI (Association of American Cancer Institutes) Program Committee AACI 2025 spoke about great reasons why trainees choose the field of cancer as a career because it is one of the most rewarding fields especially because of who you get to work with on a very important mission.
He has learned from his sister that in the corporate world, unlike the world of AACI cancer centers, franchises like Burger King, McDonald’s and others don’t share their SOP’s for making fries, or shakes. They don’t share their strategic plans, pink sheets or grants like the collaborative cancer center culture. Thank you Dr. Mesa and committee for a great annual program.”
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