Editorial by Prof. Alessandro Quattrone: “If we truly want to defeat cancer, we will have to get used to stepping outside of ourselves, outside of our own experience, and trust the numbers, perceiving them also for their deeper, more hidden emotional value.”
The Pezcoller Award, awarded in precious collaboration with the American Association for Cancer Research, is renowned for identifying scientific figures who have truly made a difference: it acts as a sort of global sensor for where meaningful research in the field is heading.
This time, for the first time, the laureates belong to a new category: the development of vaccines that prevent carcinogenesis. And I believe that the length of the road separating us from the ultimate defeat of cancer will be shortened the more future Pezcoller laureates fall into this new category. This will happen if there are adequate investments and a correct public perception of the importance of such a scientific effort.
