Recent years have seen the approval of several targeted cancer therapeutics. For example, Herceptin (which targets Her2) is used for the treatment of some breast cancers, Gleevec (targeting Bcr-Abl and c-Kit) for chronic myelogenous leukemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and Iressa (targeting the EGF receptor) for lung cancer. These new drugs highlight that we have entered an exciting era, in which cancer therapy involves identifying and targeting key molecular drivers of the disease. Yet many very important questions remain, including: Which are the best molecular targets? What is the role of combination therapy? What is the role of anti-angiogenesis therapy? Which animal models are most predictive of the human disease? Should we be targeting """"""""cancer stem cells""""""""? The goal of this meeting is to bring together leaders from all areas of cancer research to discuss these issues surrounding the identification of new molecular targets, and the generation and testing of therapeutics directed against them. This conference will be beneficial to cancer researchers at all stages of their careers, from both the academic and industrial sectors. We have made a concerted effort to achieve a speaker list as diverse as the audience. In addition, we particularly encourage the participation of young scientists by providing poster sessions at which they can present their work.
