On December 3, 2022, the 4th Sino-US Symposium on Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma took place in Shanghai, China. Organized by Dr. Guopei Zhu and his colleagues at the Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, the symposium covered a wide array of research topics, ranging from basic and translational science through to clinical research. The full agenda is available here.

ACCRF Executive Director Jeff Kaufman presented on "Global Efforts in Basic and Translational Research for ACC". He reviewed what is known scientifically about ACC and described some of the more encouraging recent developments that may eventually lead to better therapeutic options for ACC patients. The video is available here.

Clinical trial activity remains high for ACC patients dealing with recurrent or metastatic disease that is progressing. ACCRF provides a list of clinical trials on the Open Studies webpage that may be appropriate for ACC patients to consider in consultation with their oncologists. In addition, the Completed Studies webpage reviews the history of systemic therapy (drugs) in ACC. Here we review some of the more recent developments in clinical trials since our last update in October.

One study recently started enrolling ACC patients:

• KB-0742 – This study is testing an inhibitor of CDK9. It is open in Boston, MA, Duarte, CA, and San Antonio, TX, USA.

One study recently completed its enrollment:

• P-PSMA-101 CAR-T - This study of autologous T cell therapy is no longer being developed by Poseida Therapeutics. It is possible that an allogeneic T cell therapy will be developed in the future which may be appropriate for ACC patients.

We will continue to update patients about opening and closing studies as we learn about them. 

As the number of clinical trials and potential treatments for ACC patients has grown, medical oncologists are becoming more active in documenting their approaches to taking care of their patients. In 2021, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) published its clinical guidelines for salivary gland cancer patients, including ACC. And at the end of 2022, the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) published its similar clinical guidelines. There are some interesting divergences that we will explore in future communications. However, we also wish to highlight the journal articles (with ACCRF grantee authors in parentheses) that focus more narrowly on ACC alone, and which patients may find interesting:

• Systemic and Targeted Therapies in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (Dr. Glenn Hanna)
• Drug-based therapy for advanced adenoid cystic carcinoma: current landscape and challenges based on an overview of registered clinical trials (Dr. Lynn Bingle)
• Approaches to the Management of Metastatic Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (Drs. Patrick Ha and Hyu Kang)
• Metastatic Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma: Genomic Landscape and Emerging Treatments (Drs. Luana Guimaraes de Sousa and Renata Ferrarotto)
• Beyond Surgical Treatment in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: A Literature Review (Dr. Bertrand Baujat)
• Treatment of Recurrent or Metastatic Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (Dr. Renata Ferrarotto and Luana Guimaraes de Sousa)

These and other important research papers are all listed on our Published Articles webpage.

On October 22, 2022, a band of happy, sandy and loud volleyball players converged onto the beach in San Diego, CA, USA, for a charitable competition in support of ACCRF. By all accounts, this 11th annual SDCVT event was a spectacular success!

Choosing the right doctor is a crucial decision. However, finding doctors experienced in treating ACC can be challenging. In order to help ACC patients make an informed decision in selecting doctors, ACCRF offers an ACC Physicians List of doctors who have treated ACC patients.

We are always looking to improve the list! Please email us at info@accrf.org if any of the following apply:

• You feel your doctor is knowledgeable about ACC and should be added to the list
• Your doctor on the list has retired
• Your doctor on the list has moved away from where s/he is listed

Your guidance will ease the path for future ACC patients. We are particularly interested in countries and regions with relatively few available physicians listed.