Franco Cavalli, MD, Honored for Cancer Research, Education Initiatives

Dr. Cavalli, President of the Foundation for the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR) in Bellinzona, Switzerland, received the 2024 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Distinguished Public Service Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research at the AACR Annual Meeting, which took place April 5-10 in San Diego, California.

Dr. Cavalli was honored for his accomplishments in the fields of leukemia, lymphoma, and breast cancer; his clinical investigations involving VP16; and his contributions to the development of therapeutics such as cisplatin, carboplatin, and paclitaxel, according to the AACR. Throughout his career, he has published more than 600 journal articles and contributed to the publication of several textbooks, including the Textbook of Medical Oncology.

The award also recognized Dr. Cavalli’s commitment to improving global cancer research through the initiation and development of the International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma. Additionally, he helped establish several organizations to advance research and education in the field, including the IOR, the International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group, the European School of Oncology, the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, the Bellinzona Institutes of Sciences, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Early Clinical Trials Group.

As the former president of the Union for International Cancer Control, he contributed to the launch of the My Child Matters initiative, which was formed in 2005 to improve the survival rate of children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries, and the World Cancer Declaration, which promotes equal access to cancer services and helps bring the global cancer crisis to the attention of government leaders and policymakers, according to their respective websites.

An AACR member since 1981, Dr. Cavalli has served on several AACR committees, including the AACR-Millennium Fellowship in Lymphoma Research Scientific Review Committee from 2013 to 2015 and the Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research Selection Committee from 1998 to 1999.

“Dr. Cavalli is an exceptional scientist and leader,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), Chief Executive Officer of the AACR, in a press release. “His work both in the lab and as a tireless advocate for improved collaboration and communication among cancer researchers has led to crucial progress against this dreaded disease for the benefit of patients around the world. The AACR is so proud to honor him with this prestigious award.”