The accurate detection of early stage cancer is critical to improve patient care by developing cancer specific interventions to avert invasion metastatic dissemination and subsequent advanced disease. The National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Prevention has established the Early Detection Research Network (EDRN), a multi-institutional consortium endeavoring to improve methods for detecting cancer at its earliest stage. The EDRN has developed into an international research program of substantial charge and scope that supports and facilitates a broad spectrum of research activities, particularly the discovery, development and validation of molecular biomarkers for the accurate detection of early stage cancer. Armed with cutting-edge technologies, multidisciplinary experts are working together in the EDRN to fulfill the mission of improving patient care. ? ? The purpose of this proposed 2007 Gordon Conference on New Frontiers in Cancer Detection and Diagnosis is to bring together junior and senior physicians and scientists with expertise in basic, translational and clinical oncology, as well as experts in computational biology, biotechnology and informatics in a unique nurturing environment conducive to forging partnerships. Such a setting provides a unique opportunity and venue for intense discussion and evaluation of cancer research, establishing the merit of research priorities, and advancement of the field through newly established collaborations. In an atmosphere focused on uniting biology, oncology and technology, physicians and scientists will work together to develop potential clinical applications of cancer biomarkers to improvement of patient care. ? ? To support the overall goals and objectives of the conference, the program is organized in nine scientific plenary sections entitled: Biology of Early Cancer Detection I, Biology of Early Cancer II, Enabling Technologies for Biomarker Discovery, Genomics-Based Diagnostic Biomarkers, Omics as Biomarkers: Glycomics, Lipidomics, Metabolomics, State of Proteomics, Epitomics and Immunomics, Biomarkers at a Crossroads: A Clinical reality Check, and Data Mining Based Biomarker Discovery, together with four poster sessions. ? ? ? ?
