SITC Honors Samantha Guild With Public Service Award

Samantha Guild, JD, was recently named the recipient of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2026 Tara Withington Public Service Award. The award recognizes her outstanding leadership and advocacy on behalf of the melanoma community, as well as her commitment to advancing patient education, research, and support. She will be formally honored at the SITC 2026 Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, in November 2026.

Ms. Guild is a member of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) Melanoma Committee and Cancer Research Advocates Committee. She is president of AIM at Melanoma Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded following the death of her sister, Charlie Guild, who died from melanoma in 2003. The foundation was established by their mother, Valerie Guild. Read the full announcement.

Innovative Leukemia Study Offers Insights for Geriatric Oncology

EA9131 was a unique clinical trial conducted by ECOG-ACRIN that led to a dramatic decrease in early deaths from a rare and aggressive—yet highly curable—form of leukemia called acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). In the first month of treatment, when APL patients were at the highest risk of death, a personalized care plan with 24/7 support from APL experts led to a 97% induction survival rate. Anand P. Jillella, MD (Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University) presented the primary results in 2022, showing that the study exceeded its goal of reducing mortality during induction from an estimated 30% to 15% or less. The findings were subsequently published in JAMA Oncology.

In a new analysis of patients over age 60, reported by Vamsi Kota, MD (Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University), 93% were alive at 1 month and 88% at 1 year after receiving an approach that included lower treatment doses, delaying one of the drugs, and expert guidance, despite many patients having other serious health conditions. The findings have important implications for geriatric oncology, suggesting that older patients with APL may benefit from treatment approaches tailored to their age and health. Further studies are needed to determine the safest and most effective approaches. Dr. Kota presented the data at the European Hematology Association Annual Congress (EHA26). Read the abstract.

Fall 2026 Group Meeting Registration Is Open

Registration is open for our Fall 2026 Group Meeting, taking place in person at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown from Tuesday, October 20–Thursday, October 22. Sessions begin early Tuesday morning and end early Thursday afternoon (subject to change). Visit the meeting website to view the latest schedule. As usual, the meeting is open to researchers and staff affiliated with member institutions, advocates who are members of ECOG-ACRIN’s various scientific committees, industry representatives, and invited guests. Register here.

Important note: All sessions will be conducted in person only.

ECOG-ACRIN members unable to attend in person may register for access to the open/general committee session recordings (to be posted after the meeting concludes). Registration is required to access these recordings. Register now—and please select the ‘On Demand Recordings - Members Only’ registration type.

Call for Abstracts: 2026 Young Investigator Symposium

ECOG-ACRIN is accepting research abstracts from early-career investigators interested in presenting their research as part of the upcoming Fall 2026 Group Meeting (see above). Researchers may be eligible to apply if they are engaged in clinical, translational, imaging, or basic cancer research or in non-cancer-related research that has application to cancer biology, prevention, screening, diagnosis, imaging, or treatment. View the full eligibility criteria and the official abstract submission form.

The Symposium will take place in person during the Fall Group Meeting (October 20-22). The deadline for abstract submissions is Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time).

Free Online Course: Design/Management of Clinical Trials

As a courtesy to our members, we are sharing the following information from a participating institution.

Registration is now open for the University of Miami/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s 2026 Design and Management of Cancer Clinical Trials Course. This free, virtual course offers a comprehensive educational program designed for physicians and other professionals involved in developing and managing clinical trials. Led by experts in oncology research, the course provides practical instruction in clinical trial design, research methodology, protocol development, biostatistics, precision medicine, biomarkers, and other key concepts that underpin successful cancer clinical research. Through a series of virtual sessions beginning in August, participants will gain valuable knowledge to help advance high-quality clinical trials and ultimately improve patient care. Learn more and register today.

Please note that ECOG-ACRIN is not affiliated with this event.