Alliance E-News - April 2026
Spotlight on Scientific Meetings

Alliance Research at the 2026 AACR Symposium

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting is often a focal point of the cancer research community, where scientists, clinicians, other health care professionals, survivors, patients, and advocates gather to share the latest advances in cancer science and medicine. From population science and prevention; to cancer biology, translational, and clinical studies; to survivorship and advocacy; the AACR Annual Meeting highlights the work of the best minds in cancer research from institutions all over the world.

At the 2026 AACR Annual Meeting, held April 17-22 in San Diego, Alliance researchers presented the following work.

Methods workshop: Biostatistics in clinical trials: Model-assisted designs for early-phase clinical trials - simplicity meets rigor

Presenter: Sumithra J. Mandrekar, PhD, Principal Investigator for Alliance Clinical Trials, Mayo Clinic

Synopsis: Enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of early-phase clinical trials is essential for research-intensive centers like the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center because these trials set the scientific, ethical, and operational foundation for everything that follows. At a center like Mayo, which often leads investigator-initiated trials and translational research, getting this stage right directly impacts national and international treatment standards. It also helps maintain the highest ethical standards critical to mission and reputation.

Abstract 7897: Novel Rho-GTPase regulatory protein gene family variants are frequent and associated with poor survival in patients with acute myeloid leukemia

Presenter: Ann-Kathrin Eisfeld, MD, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Institute

Synopsis: This study found that mutations in Rho‑GTPase regulatory protein genes (ARHG family) are common in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients from diverse ancestral backgrounds, occurring in about 12-15% of cases, significantly higher than in European‑ancestry cohorts (2-3%). These mutations often co‑occur with NRAS and FLT3 mutations, are more common in younger patients, and are associated with poorer survival, suggesting a newly recognized, clinically relevant pathway in AML.
The work addresses a known gap in cancer genomics, where most sequencing studies have focused on patients of European ancestry.

Abstract 5038: Associations of WCRF/AICR recommendations with survival and chemotherapy outcomes in colon cancer: CALGB/SWOG 80702 (Alliance)

Presenter: En Cheng, MD, PhD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Synopsis: This study evaluated whether adherence to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) lifestyle recommendations is associated with outcomes in stage III colon cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Using data from the CALGB/SWOG 80702 clinical trial, adherence scores were measured at the start of chemotherapy. Patients with higher adherence to WCRF/AICR recommendations had better disease‑free survival and were less likely to receive reduced chemotherapy dose-intensity, indicating improved treatment tolerance. Adherence was not associated with increased severe toxicities. Overall, the findings suggest that following these guidelines shortly after diagnosis may improve both survival and chemotherapy completion in colon cancer patients.