Drugs that home in on hard-to-treat cancers and a vaccine that promises to prevent many cases of cervical cancer were among the top advances against cancer in 2006, according to experts from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). For the second year in a row, the ASCO editorial board has published its selections for the most important research findings, along with recommendations for getting even more bang out of each cancer research buck.

"If we hope to realize the potential of extraordinary new scientific knowledge and accelerate the pace of discovery, we need a new national commitment to cancer research, including greater funding," says Gabriel Hortobagyi, MD, FACP, president of ASCO and chair of breast medical oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.