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Michael Methner was diagnosed with optic nerve glioma, a type of brain tumor that grows on or around the optic nerve, at two years of age. After three different standard treatments failed to shrink his tumor, he enrolled in a clinical trial testing an experimental targeted therapy, tovorafenib, which stabilized and then shrank his tumor with minimal side effects. Michael and his parents shared their story in the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2024.We are in an era of spectacular progress against cancer, where advances across the spectrum of cancer science and medicine are fueling breakthroughs in treatment, early detection, and cancer interception and revolutionizing patient care. These advances are made possible because of decades of federal funding in medical research.
In 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 17 new anticancer therapeutics, a testament to the progress being made in understanding and treating cancer. As one example, groundbreaking research led to the first FDA approval of a KRAS-targeted therapy for certain patients with colorectal cancer whose tumors have an alteration in the KRAS gene, known as KRAS G12C. The approval, which targets a previously intractable mutation among patients with colorectal cancer, has expanded treatment options for these patients. Additionally, advancements in precision medicine have led to significant breakthroughs in breast cancer, prostate cancer, and hematologic cancers—as well as some extremely rare cancers, such as desmoid tumor—through novel molecularly targeted therapies.
The field of immunotherapy, which continues to revolutionize cancer treatment, also saw remarkable advancements during this time. Immunotherapeutics work by harnessing the power of the immune system to target and destroy cancer cells, offering new hope for many patients with previously untreatable cancers. In 2024, the FDA approved the first T-cell-engaging bispecific antibody, a form of immunotherapy, for patients with small cell lung cancer. The agency also approved the first-ever tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte-based cellular immunotherapy, which provided a new therapeutic option for patients with melanoma, such as Jennifer Ficko.
As AACR President (2024–2025) Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, PhD (hc), FAACR, highlighted in the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2024, “The future of cancer science and medicine is promising. Cancer diagnostics are becoming more sophisticated. Innovative technologies, such as spatial transcriptomics, are helping us study tumors at a cellular level. Artificial intelligence–based approaches are beginning to transform cancer detection, diagnosis, treatment decision-making, and response monitoring.”
Despite these advances, cancer remains an ongoing challenge both in the U.S. and globally. The AACR remains committed to educating the public and Congress about the disproportionally higher cancer burden among racial and ethnic minority groups and other medically underserved populations. The AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report is an essential part of this effort. The report highlights the serious public health challenge posed by cancer disparities in the U.S. and makes policy recommendations to address that challenge and ensure that all cancer patients benefit from advances in cancer research and treatment. (See the section on “Realizing the Bold Vision of Cancer Health Equity.”)
