Tumor evolution is a process by which cells acquire genetic and epigenetic alterations that lead to inappropriate cell proliferation. This process is fueled further by extensive interactions between cancer cells and cells of the tumor microenvironment, including immune cells and fibroblasts. In recent years, there has been a great deal of attention focused on the tumor microenvironment and signaling between different cell types within the tumor. A priority of this Keystone Symposia conference is to draw attention back to the cancer cell itself to think about the cell intrinsic mechanisms that promote tumor development. This focus will not only provide a deeper understanding of the underpinnings of carcinogenesis but also provide new insights into potential strategies for therapeutic interventions. Specifically, conference sessions will cover broad topics ranging from tumor evolution, tumor heterogeneity, and metabolic rewiring and plasticity to drugging cancer cell-intrinsic pathways and cancer cell vulnerabilities.

Discussions on emerging topics and unanswered questions in the field will inspire new ways of thinking about changes in cancer cells during the process of tumor evolution.  The meeting will bring together scientists from academia, industry and clinical medicine, to integrate perspectives on the intrinsic cancer cell and derive a better understanding of tumor evolution with the goal of designing more effective cancer therapies.