The Gordon Research Conference (GRC), focused on Hormone-Dependent Cancers: Development and Progression will be held on July 28th-August 2nd, 2013 at Bryant College in Rhode Island. This conference is in fact the fifth iteration of the Hormone Action in Development and Cancer Conference, which was re-titled with approval from the Gordon Research Conference series to reflect the focus of the meeting. Historically, this conference merged three distinct but overlapping fields: hormone action, development, and cancer biology into one conference with the idea that interdisciplinary sharing of ideas and knowledge would provide value added. This concept bore fruit, especially beginning with the 2009 GRC on this theme, which initiated a focus on hormone dependent cancers with a further emphasis on cancer development and progression. Since the 2009 conference, the field has seen remarkable progress in understanding mechanisms of hormone action and identification of novel means to treat hormone dependent cancers. These advances have arisen as a result of interdisciplinary research and cross communication among basic, translational and physician scientists. The 2013 meeting is dedicated towards furthering this concept, and we are exceedingly pleased that leaders in all areas of the hormone dependent cancers field have agreed to speak and participate in this meeting. Areas of focus will include: hormone action in cancer development, chromatin regulation in cancer development, cross talk of hormone receptor and DNA damage pathways, stem cell function in cancer development, microenvironment and metastasis, endocrine therapy resistance, hormone action in cancers beyond breast and prostate, hormones in translation, and the future of targeted therapy. This structure offers a unique venue for fostering vigorous exchange of scientific ideas among the participants, made possible through the implementation of extensive discussion periods after each session, free time to promote informal interactions and intellectual cross-fertilization, and poster sessions that will allow all attendees to present the latest research findings within a collegiate atmosphere. Opportunities for trainees are unmatched, in that they will gain access to the leading scientists in this field. It is also anticipated that trainee travel awards and young investigator presentations will be included. These research topics enrich translational representation in this meeting and will be of interest not only to the National Cancer Institute, bt also to the National Institute on Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Disease (NIDDK), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute on Aging (NIA), and the National Institute on Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
This meeting will bring together basic, translational, and physician scientists that are leaders and unquestioned experts in the fields of cancer biology, hormone action, chromatin regulation, stem cell development, endocrinology, and clinical trial design with the goal of cross fertilizing ideas, techniques, and novel concepts to improve understanding of cancer development and progression. This mechanism of communication is essential for the goal of developing new approaches and translational opportunities for cancer prevention, detection, and eradication. The primary objective of the 2013 GRC on Hormone-Dependent Cancers: Development and Progression is to provide the basis for attendees to discuss the latest advances, develop new collaborations, and overcome challenges.
