Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), chief executive officer of the American Association for Cancer Research, does not rest. She acts with an urgency that stems from leading a war against cancer that has not yet been won.
Despite significant progress in research, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, it is projected that 84 million people will die from cancer between 2005 and 2015 unless this pandemic is averted by early detection, novel therapeutics and prevention.
"Prevention in all of its subdisciplines, which utilizes cutting-edge basic, translational, clinical and epidemiological research strategies, is one of the major keys to lowering the global incidence of cancer," said Foti. "The AACR fosters trans-disciplinary interactions in the prevention field, which include the study of genetic, behavioral and environmental factors, new noninvasive imaging technologies that offer promise for early detection, new chemopreventive agents for individuals at high risk and treatment options for early cancers and pre-cancers."
The AACR's Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research meeting is the world's most comprehensive meeting focused on all aspects of cancer prevention research. At the 2008 conference, the chairs of the Cancer Prevention Research meetings presented Foti with an award in recognition of her pioneering vision, leadership and support in the field of cancer prevention.
As well, the AACR collaborates with the NCI and FDA on identifying promising new areas of cancer prevention. Last year's AACR-NCI Think Tank, "Charting the Future of Cancer Prevention," brought together the best minds in basic, translational and clinical prevention research to consider the current state of cancer prevention and chart a course for accelerating advances in cancer prevention research.
"None of this would have been possible if not for Margaret Foti," said Tyler Jacks, Ph.D., president of the AACR. "She embodies AACR's mission to prevent and cure cancer through research, education, communication and collaboration. Marge's remarkable personal commitment to the AACR and her tireless effort on its behalf have been the keys to the organization's rise to prominence."
To Foti, fighting cancer is a lifelong mission. As a Philadelphia native and graduate of Temple University, she began a meteoric rise through the ranks at the AACR, the oldest and largest scientific organization in the world focused on cancer research. At 24 years old, she became the country's youngest managing editor of a major scientific journal when she was promoted to managing editor of Cancer Research, the association's flagship journal at the time. When the AACR leadership appointed Foti as its first chief executive officer in 1982, the association permanently established Philadelphia as its home base.
Last year, in response to recommendations of experts in the field, Foti launched Cancer Prevention Research, a journal covering all aspects of cancer prevention - from preclinical research to clinical prevention trials. It joins five other AACR peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research, Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, Molecular Cancer Research, and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention - all of which contribute more than 26,000 scientific pages to the cancer literature every year and more than 20 percent of the world’s cancer literature.
During her tenure, Foti helped to grow the AACR budget from $1 million to $80 million and increase its membership from 3,000 to a collective brain trust of nearly 30,000 basic, translational and clinical scientists in 90 countries. Thanks to Foti, the AACR convenes scientific conferences worldwide that draw thousands and lay the groundwork for ongoing collaborations, leading to an acceleration of breakthroughs. Additionally, she initiated a program in Washington to educate legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and advocate for increased funding.
"Margaret Foti is a phenomenal force in support of advancement in cancer research," said Raymond N. DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., immediate past president of the AACR. "She continues to move mountains on all fronts — from enabling progress for scientists on the frontlines of prevention and treatment to supporting survivors and raising public awareness. For discovery of new treatments, she sees the power of many voices and the ‘team approach’ as the key to success. She knows that it will take all of us to beat this disease."
In 1999, the AACR launched the Scientist-Survivor program to build partnerships among the leaders of the scientific and cancer survivor and patient advocacy communities worldwide. In 2006 the AACR launched CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists involved in the cancer arena.
Most recently, the AACR was chosen as the sole scientific partner in Stand Up To Cancer, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation to support translational cancer research projects that will have the highest potential for bringing effective new treatments to patients in the shortest time possible. The AACR’s Scientific Advisory Committee, led by Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp of MIT, selected five "Dream Teams" that were awarded three-year grants amounting to a total of $73.6 million.
Despite all the success, Foti, the winner of numerous awards and the holder of three honorary doctorates, says there is still much work to be done.
"We have made remarkable achievements and great strides forward in all areas of cancer science and medicine, but we must continue to save lives from cancer through further research advances that will lead to more effective ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer for all humankind," she said.
