A Message from the President

Dear Colleagues,

Since its creation in 1984, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) has steadfastly pursued its goals to advance the science and application of tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy. As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and other authorities around the world, have approved use of numerous immunotherapy treatments in recent years for a variety of cancers, education of the patient care team has become one of the most critical initiatives of our society.

To achieve its educational goals, SITC and its members have developed state-of-the-art programs, both online and in-person. An example of online resources is the SITC library of Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines. The most recent publication in this series contains clinical treatment recommendations for clinicians administering immunotherapy for patients with HNSCC and is published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC) – our open access, peer-reviewed online journal. Congratulations to the SITC Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines Head and Neck Subcommittee for authoring this important consensus statement.

For in-person education, the Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy™ (ACI) regional programs have been particularly effective and popular. Approaching its seventh year, ACIs are held in 15 communities around North America each year, and include national and local experts on cancer immunotherapy across the disease spectrum. SITC will again offer the program free of charge for healthcare professionals in the clinical setting, students and patient advocates ACI programs provide:

• In-depth information on treating patients with FDA-approved immunotherapies
• Analysis and interpretation of new clinical data supporting the use of checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T therapies, cytokines, oncolytic viruses and vaccines
• Education enabling clinicians and other health care personnel to more effectively identify and manage immune-related adverse events
• Strategies to overcome operational and reimbursement barriers to incorporating immunotherapy into practice

I’ve served as an ACI faculty member myself, and seen first-hand SITC’s ability to draw from a vast network of scientific and clinical experts to provide an outstanding educational program. Attendees acquire a better understanding of current practices and known challenges to administering cancer immunotherapy treatments. All ACIs are CME-, CNE-, CPE- and MOC-certified, assisting clinicians in providing state of the art care to their patients.

Beginning in September and through March 2020, SITC will bring its ACI program to 15 cities around North America. Registration is currently open for Cleveland (Sept. 5), Chicago (Sept. 28), Boston (Oct. 10), Buffalo, N.Y. (Oct. 26) and Nashville, Tenn. (Dec. 4). Remaining cities that will host an ACI in the coming year include: Philadelphia; San Francisco; Birmingham, Ala.; Charlotte, N.C.; San Diego; Washington, D.C.; Tampa, Fla.; Tucson, Ariz.; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; and San Antonio. Stay tuned to the SITC website for dates and registration information on upcoming ACIs.

Finally, I’d like to share a quick reminder that we are nearly a month out from SITC’s upcoming interim workshops on cancer immune responsiveness (Sept. 4-5) and adoptive cellular therapies (Sept. 5-6) in Houston. The deadline to save money on housing is Wednesday, Aug. 14, with online registration closing Wednesday, Aug. 28, so don’t hesitate in securing your spot for these engaging scientific and clinical workshops. I hope to see you in Texas!

Sincerely,

Mario Sznol, MD

SITC President

Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy™ Regional Education Programs
2019-2020 Series

As the field of immunotherapy continues to rapidly evolve, it’s critical that you and your entire team stay current with the latest FDA-approved immunotherapy treatments. The SITC Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy™ (ACI) programs do just that. These CME-, CNE-, CPE- and MOC-certified programs are presented by local authorities in tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy and give you the information and understanding to improve outcomes for your cancer patients.

In addition to networking with fellow colleagues, ACI participants will learn how to:

• Treat patients with FDA-approved immunotherapies
• Interpret new clinical data supporting the use of checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T therapies, cytokines, oncolytic viruses and vaccines
• Identify and manage immune-related adverse events
• Employ strategies to overcome operational and reimbursement barriers to incorporating immunotherapy into your practice
• Apply foundational knowledge for clinical implementation of SITC’s Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines
• Anticipate forthcoming immunotherapy trends/treatments/trials and how they impact your patients and practices
• Recognize common and uncommon toxicities in immunotherapy patients and provide solutions/adjustments in treatment to address them

UPCOMING ACI PROGRAMS

Additional locations in the upcoming ACI series include: Birmingham, Ala.; Charlotte, N.C.; San Antonio; San Diego; Tampa, Fla.; Tucson, Ariz.; Washington, D.C.; and Vancouver, B.C. Stay tuned to SITC Cancer Immunotherapy CONNECT for dates and registration information for these ACI programs. Click here to download the 2019-20 ACI series flier.

The 2019–2020 ACI series is jointly provided by Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer in collaboration with the American Academy of Emergency Medicine, the Association of Community Cancer Centers and the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association.

ACIs on SITC Cancer Immunotherapy connectED

ACI Online Courses

SITC brings personalized, virtual, accredited education to your entire cancer team with a new series of free online courses. These courses build upon ACI program, offering up-to-date information on cancer immunotherapy condensed into 30- and 45-minute sessions that keep your cancer team up to date on critical issues like:

Topics covered in the 2019 ACI Online Education Series:

• Basic Principles of Cancer Immunotherapy
• Lung Cancer and Immunotherapy
• Melanoma and Immunotherapies
• Head and Neck Cancer and Immunotherapy
• Genitourinary Malignancies and Immunotherapy
• Hematologic Malignancies and Immunotherapy
• Practical Barriers in Cancer Immunotherapy Treatment
• What’s Next for Cancer Immunotherapy?

Click here to access these free, CE-accredited online courses from SITC connectED.

Introduction to Immunology – Second Edition: Pre-Program Course

Introduction to Immunology – Second Edition is a free online pre-program course for the ACI regional education series. Participation by ACI program attendees is strongly recommended, however the class is available to anyone free of charge.

Taught by SITC member Christian M. Capitini, MD (University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center), this updated, interactive course provides foundational knowledge that is necessary for understanding cancer immunotherapy content that will be discussed at the in-person program.

Upon course completion, participants should be able to:

• Describe the function of the components of the immune system, including relevant cells, molecules and organs of the immune system.
• Differentiate between the adaptive immune system and the innate immune system.
• Recognize the barriers to effective immunotherapy, including mechanisms by which tumors locally disable and/or evade the immune system.

Click here to lean more and complete this course.

SITC Publishes Head and Neck Cancer Immunotherapy Treatment Recommendations

On July 15, 2019, SITC published its Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC), the society’s open access, peer-reviewed online journal.

“The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer consensus statement on immunotherapy for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC),” contains evidence-based, consensus recommendations to better inform clinicians regarding many aspects of head and neck cancer patient management during an immunotherapy treatment plan. The manuscript includes consensus statements on treatment scheduling of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved immunotherapies, the use of predictive biomarkers and appropriate patient testing, how best to evaluate and monitor patient response, and management of immune-related adverse events.

SITC Announces Inaugural Women in Cancer Immunotherapy Network Leadership Institute Class

On Aug. 19-20, SITC will host its inaugural Women in Cancer Immunotherapy Network (WIN) Leadership Institute in Seattle. Championed by SITC Immediate Past President Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD, the WIN Leadership Institute is a free, one-and-a-half day program organized by female luminaries in the cancer immunotherapy field that seeks to empower emerging female leaders in the field.

The WIN Leadership Institute will explore an array of topics relevant to women, including:

• Learning to break through the glass ceiling
• Exploring negotiation techniques
• Mastering the art of saying no
• Understanding how to survive in a political world
• Developing leadership skills, including conflict resolution strategies and public speaking

Following an overwhelming applicant response (more than three times as many applicants as available spaces), SITC is excited to announce the names of the inaugural class of the SITC WIN Leadership Institute.

SITC is Hiring a Medical Writer

SITC is hiring a Medical Writer to aid in the various scientific projects and initiatives of the society. By joining the Scientific Publications Team, you’ll get to interface with the leading authorities in the field and support their efforts to address key scientific questions, as well as educate oncologists about when and how to best use immunotherapy to treat their patients.

Please click here to learn more and apply.