Since smoking became popular in America in the 1930s, lung cancer rates have continued to climb. Today, it is still the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, with totals more than the other five leading cancers combined.

Armed with these sobering statistics, scientists have launched several innovative projects to find therapies that will effectively treat, and hopefully reduce the overall incidence of lung cancer. Several are being presented today during the American Association for Cancer Research's 4th annual Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research meeting in Baltimore.

"We have begun to develop innovative strategies to target lung cancer with targeted medicines and new vaccines, but we have a long way to go," said William G. Nelson, V, M.D., Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins University and Program Chair of the meeting. "We hope that increased attention to research and treatment options will improve the outlook for the increasingly large patient population."

Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research is a professional society of more than 24,000 laboratory, translational, and clinical scientists engaged in all areas of cancer research in the United States and in more than 60 other countries. AACR's mission is to accelerate the prevention and cure of cancer through research, education, communication, and advocacy. Its principal activities include the publication of five major peer-reviewed scientific journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. AACR's Annual Meetings attract nearly 16,000 participants who share new and significant discoveries in the cancer field. Specialty meetings, held throughout the year, focus on the latest developments in all areas of cancer research.
Nicotine Vaccine: A Promising Treatment for Nicotine Addiction Abstract # 2565, Dorothy Hatsukami, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Oral Presentation. 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, November 2, 2005.

Chemoprevention of Lung Cancer: What's Next?
Abstract # 3474, Eva Szabo, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md.
Oral Presentation. 7:00 a.m., Tuesday, November 1, 2005. Warren Froelich
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American Association for Cancer Research
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