The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) will convene leading researchers, clinicians and industry experts at its 33rd Annual Scientific Retreat, October 2–4, 2026, in Carlsbad, California. The Retreat is the world’s foremost scientific conference on prostate cancer biology and treatment.

Prostate cancer affects 1 in 8 men and causes nearly 36,000 U.S. deaths each year, and both incidence and mortality continue to rise. For more than three decades, PCF has funded research that led to 14 FDA-approved life-extending therapies, but much remains to be learned about disease biology and new treatments.

The program’s 48 presentations, lectures and panels will cover cancer immunotherapy, treatment resistance, new therapeutic targets, AI in biological discovery, precision medicine and more.

“The PCF Scientific Retreat showcases the remarkable progress being made in prostate cancer research, and the real difference that progress makes for patients and their families,” said Gina Carithers, President and CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. “This year’s program reflects where the field is headed, from advances in immunotherapy and precision medicine to new therapeutic targets and the use of AI in research. By bringing together the world’s leading experts to share their newest findings and collaborate, we are accelerating the science needed to save lives.”

Internationally Recognized Leaders in Cancer Research

Nobel Laureate James Allison, PhD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, will deliver the James Allison Distinguished Lecture on Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy, examining the past, present and future of checkpoint immunotherapy in solid tumors. Charles Sawyers, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, will deliver the Charles Sawyers Distinguished Lecture on Bench-to-Bedside New Drugs & New Targets, on how prostate cancers escape androgen receptor signaling inhibitors through lineage transition.

Mary-Ellen Taplin, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, will give the PCF Women in Science Lifetime Achievement Award Lecture, and PCF Founder and Chairman Michael Milken will deliver a keynote.

Stephen Squinto, PhD, Chief Investment Officer of J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital and Co-Founder of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, will deliver a special lecture on important trends in biotech investing in 2026 and what they mean for the development of new prostate cancer therapies.

PCF Young Investigator Forum

On October 1, PCF’s annual Young Investigator Forum will bring together early-career researchers for presentations, career development and networking. Sessions will cover grant writing, clinical research careers and translating academic discoveries into new medicines. Top PCF Young Investigators will present their research to their peers consistent with PCF’s requirement of scientific collaboration.

PCF Patient Summit

On October 2, PCF is convening a half-day patient summit towards educating patients and families on the latest science. Translating recent research advances, including new therapies, precision medicine, and immunotherapy, into plain language so attendees understand what’s available and what’s coming.

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation

The Prostate Cancer Foundation® (PCF®) is the world’s leading philanthropic organization funding life-saving prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993 by Mike Milken, PCF has raised more than $1 billion for more than 2,615 research projects at 312 leading cancer centers in 29 countries. Through its efforts, patients worldwide are living longer, with fewer complications and better quality of life. PCF is committed to ending death and suffering from this disease. Learn more at pcf.org.

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