Dr. Cascone is an associate professor with tenure, physician-scientist, and the director of Translational Research in the Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She received her medical degree (summa cum laude) and doctorate from the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Naples, Italy. Dr. Cascone completed her postdoctoral studies at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and then enrolled in the internal medicine program at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. She returned to MD Anderson Cancer Center to complete her fellowship training in medical oncology. Dr. Cascone is a graduate of the MD Anderson Cancer Medicine Advanced Scholar Program and the Physician-Scientist Training Program.

Dr. Cascone’s research efforts have shaped our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the improved efficacy of combined neoadjuvant immunotherapies for early-stage, resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Dr. Cascone leads a basic laboratory and a translational research program that studies patient-derived samples and human-relevant mouse models to uncover cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate response and resistance of NSCLC to immunotherapy. She serves as global lead investigator on several clinical trials evaluating novel neoadjuvant and perioperative immune-based combination therapies for resectable NSCLC. Dr. Cascone incorporates longitudinal, multi-sample collections into clinical trials to increase our knowledge of disease mechanisms, facilitate discovery, and enable clinical intervention. This approach of integrating preclinical studies with innovative clinical trials has allowed her to push the boundaries of the current standard of care for operable NSCLC and open new areas of investigation. Dr. Cascone has received several awards for exceptional clinical care and research excellence, including the Clifton D. Howe Award for Clinical Excellence, the Waun Ki Hong Award for Achievement in Basic Science, the ASCO Career Development Award, and the ASCI Young Investigator Award. Her research program is supported by funding from the University of Texas Rising STARs Award, the NIH/NCI, the Mark Foundation Endeavor Award and the Sabin Family Foundation Award. In addition to her clinical and research interests, she is passionate about education and mentoring.

Dr. Cascone has served in several departmental and institutional leadership roles. She has also made significant contributions to her field through her extramural service. Dr. Cascone’s commitment to SITC is demonstrated by her role as organizer and speaker at several SITC Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy education programs, as co-chair of the Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Symposium at the SITC 2021 Annual Meeting, as an expert at the SITC 2024 Meet-the-Expert Lunch to discuss career paths for physician-scientists, and as organizer of the Corporate Roundtable Meeting at the SITC 2024 Annual Meeting. She is also an active member of the SITC Neoadjuvant Clinical Trial Design Working Group and a speaker at the SITC Summit on the Future of Neoadjuvant Clinical Trial Design and the Leveraging Biomarkers to Accelerate IO Drug Development SITC Workshop. Dr. Cascone serves as an Associate Editor for the Clinical Cancer Immunotherapy section of the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC). 

What are the two or three critical issues facing the field of cancer immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy has dramatically changed cancer treatment and established new standards of care for several tumor types. For example, within the span of just a few years, we have seen regulatory approvals for neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and perioperative immunotherapy treatments for patients with early-stage, resectable non-small cell lung cancer. Unfortunately, however, these studies also indicate that many patients fail to respond to immunotherapy for reasons that are incompletely understood. One of the critical challenges we are facing in clinical practice is the inability to deliver personalized treatments for some subsets of patients due to the lack of robust biomarkers of therapeutic efficacy. One way our group and others are tackling this issue is by integrating multiomics analyses of longitudinal samples with preclinical studies using human-relevant models and drawing on expertise from multiple fields. This approach will enable a comprehensive framework for precision cancer immunotherapy that will consider tumor, immune-related and patient factors and lead to the discovery of reliable biomarkers for patient stratification and therapy selection. We expect that this strategy will enhance clinical outcomes for a greater number of patients while minimizing treatment-related toxicities.

A second important gap that is hindering our ability to effectively deliver cancer immunotherapy for a potential cure is our incomplete understanding of how to optimally combine or sequence immune-based treatments which have distinct mechanisms of action (e.g., checkpoint inhibitors, T-cell engagers, vaccines, bispecific antibodies) with other therapeutic modalities, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. An improved understanding of how to sequence various immune agents in a personalized fashion will provide an opportunity to de-escalate treatments and minimize both clinical and financial toxicity. Conversely, this strategy will also enable us to tailor intensified therapeutic regimens using innovative immunotherapies for individuals who are at considerable risk of disease relapse. This more rational approach to cancer immunotherapy holds the potential to significantly impact healthcare outcomes and alleviate burden from patients and their support system.

A third issue hampering progress in cancer immunotherapy is that many individuals with cancer may have limited access to clinical trials evaluating promising immunotherapy treatments and combination strategies. To promote equitable access to novel agents and advance clinical and translational research, we must streamline clinical trials while scaling clinical operations to a more sustainable level. By doing so, we can reach a broader population of cancer patients that better reflects the real-world clinical practice and expand patient access to potentially more effective treatments. The clinical and translational data generated from more comprehensive and diverse populations and cohorts should stimulate new scientific hypotheses and foster innovative grant opportunities.

What is Your Vision for SITC?

My contributions as member of the SITC Board of Directors will be centered on implementing initiatives that foster translational research and multidisciplinary collaborations in order to bridge the void between basic science discoveries and clinical applications. A fully integrated interdisciplinary approach that expands our understanding of how tumor biology influences the immune system is critical to maximize the effectiveness of immune-based therapies in cancer patients, develop novel therapeutic strategies that can enhance outcomes for a greater number of individuals and lead to a cure. By facilitating strategic partnerships between academic and community practice investigators, industry sponsors, regulatory authorities and patient advocacy, SITC will be ideally positioned to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery and clinical development, ultimately expediting the delivery of innovative therapies to patients at a global scale.

I will help position SITC as the leading platform for presenting transformative, practice-changing immunotherapy results from clinical trials. This will generate greater participation from clinicians, healthcare providers from academia and community setting, physician-scientists, sponsors and regulators. As a result, SITC will move to the forefront of the field as an international hub for sharing the latest findings that could support novel immunotherapy drug approval. The annual conference will benefit from a more robust exchange of ideas across specialties and expertise that may result in expedited strategic collaborations. This strategy will also shape the scientific impact and reach of the journal’s organization as a potential platform for the dissemination of the presented findings.

I will also work with SITC board members to develop high-risk, high-reward funding mechanisms that support potentially transformative research. I envision that these opportunities would be team science awards for creative investigators from across different scientific disciplines spanning basic science, translational and clinical research who propose groundbreaking investigations that address key questions in the field. This investment will accelerate discovery, promote the procurement of robust data for moving promising compounds into clinical testing, and foster the career development and professional growth of each stakeholder across diverse career stages, paths and disciplines.

Prof. Aurélien Marabelle MD/PhD is a physician-scientist with expertise in both oncology and immunology. His current position includes roles as a Professor of Clinical Immunology at the University of Paris Saclay, Senior Medical Oncologist at the Drug Development Department (DITEP) of Gustave Roussy, Director of the Laboratory for Research in Translational Immunotherapy (LRTI) within INSERM U1015, and founder of the Center for Clinical Investigations BIOTHERIS (CIC INSERM CIC1428) dedicated to intratumoral immunotherapies. His clinical practice is dedicated to early phase clinical trials of innovative cancer immunotherapies. Dr. Marabelle has made significant contributions to the field of immunotherapy, notably in the early descriptions of immune related adverse events and the identification of predictive biomarkers such as MSI/MMRd and TMB, which have led to the approval of immunotherapies in the United States and Europe. His translational research laboratory focuses on elucidating the mechanisms of action of immunotherapies, with significant discoveries on the detrimental roles of liver metastasis, LDH, pro-inflammatory cytokines and Tregs. Demonstrating his commitment to the advancement of cancer immunotherapy, he is an engaged member of SITC, ESMO, ASCO, AACR and currently serves as the Vice-President of the French Society for Immuno-Therapy of Cancer (FITC) that he co-founded. His scientific contributions are evidenced by over 280 peer-reviewed publications and a H-index of 73, earning him recognition as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher in Clinical Medicine. Professor Marabelle currently leads the REMISSION program, which aims to personalize immunotherapy strategies by utilizing fresh tissue analysis to identify patient and tumor-specific biomarkers.

What are the two or three critical issues facing the field of cancer immunotherapy?

First, my clinical and translational research have showed me that we can overcome resistance mechanisms to immunotherapies and improve patient outcomes if we provide a good therapeutic combination to the right patients. Therefore, I believe there is a crucial need to advance biomarker-driven and personalized oncology, but also take into account critical clinical parameters (e.g liver metastasis, high LDH) to better stratify patient care. I have long advocated for a paradigm shift from histology-based to biomarker-driven approaches, emphasizing that tumor biology is paramount in determining the efficacy of immunotherapies. Finally, yet importantly, with the increasing use of immunotherapies, especially in earlier disease settings, avoiding or managing immune-related adverse events (irAEs) effectively is becoming increasingly important and I believe there is still much to be done for proper education of caregivers and doctors in that endeavor.

What is Your Vision for SITC?

My vision for SITC is one where the society continues to be the preeminent global leader in advancing the science and application of cancer immunotherapy. Building upon SITC's instrumental role over the past years in the rapid adoption of immunotherapies, I believe SITC must now expand its global leadership in immuno-oncology education. As immunotherapies become more widespread, and the science behind it is advancing at a fast pace, our educational efforts must keep up to ensure optimal patient care. I strongly believe SITC should continue to champion biomarker-driven and personalized approaches to immunotherapy, fostering research and clinical trials that are guided by the biological characteristics of individual cancers rather than solely by their histology.

My contributions to SITC over the past 15 years as an active member include contributing to educational content (symposia, webinars,…), being in the organizing committee and presenting clinical trial results at SITC Annual Meetings or publishing SITC guidelines for immunotherapy practice. I have consistently advocated for SITC's role in education and research in immuno-oncology and have been a vocal thought leader, calling for biomarker-driven treatment strategies and enhanced global education initiatives. My previous candidacy in the 2023 SITC election further demonstrates my commitment to the society.

My leadership roles in the European immuno-oncology community as a leader at the ESMO Immuno-Oncology (IO) Congress and as co-founder and vice-president of the French Society for Cancer Immunotherapy (FITC) could bring an opportunity to bridge transatlantic expertise between the US and Europe, and build collaborative networks and educational platforms. I believe we can foster enhanced global scientific exchange, promoting best practices, and harmonizing educational content across continents. I have advocated for SITC to consider reviving initiatives like the World Immunotherapy Council (WIC) to coordinate efforts across societies and continents, facilitate joint educational programs, cross-promotion of clinical trials and consensus guidelines.

By leveraging my experience and leadership in international immuno-oncology communities, I want to significantly contribute to SITC's mission and help forge even stronger ties between continents to conquer cancer through immunotherapy.

Upon graduation from Colby College in 1996, I matriculated to the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and graduated as a Scholar in Medicine in 2001. Subsequently, I completed my internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Mount Auburn Hospital from 2001–2004, then served as chief resident from 2004-2005 and as a hospitalist from 2005-2006, also at Mount Auburn Hospital. I next completed my training in Hematology and Oncology from 2006-2009 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and, upon graduation in July 2009, was hired as junior faculty at BIDMC and Harvard Medical School (HMS). In 2012, I joined the Mass General Cancer Center and currently serve as the Director of the Center for Melanoma and Director of Translational Research of the Melanoma Program.

I am a clinical and translational investigator whose main areas of interest are the development of novel therapies for malignant melanoma and other solid tumors, targeting both molecular and immune pathways, and the development of clinical biomarkers for these investigational and standard treatment approaches. With deep experience as a clinical investigator, I have led multi-institutional studies, serving as the Principal Investigator (PI) for numerous industry, NIH (CTEP P9466, P9557), and investigator sponsored clinical trials on a national level. My commitment in translational investigation includes leading an expert multi-disciplinary teams including the Cytokine Working Group trial to identify predictive biomarkers for patients with melanoma treated with high-dose IL2; numerous scientific collaborations focused on identification of predictive biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g. anti-PD-1/PD-L1) in patients with advanced melanoma, and the development of blood-based biomarkers that will allow us to better select patients for a given therapy or monitor patients on active therapy. More recently, a key focus of my work has been to identify, predict, and mitigate immune related toxicities associated with immune checkpoint inhibition in cancer patients, an emerging area of investigation that began by describing various types of toxicities, called immune related adverse events (irAEs). I spearheaded efforts and helped establish the Severe Immunotherapy Complications (SIC) Service at MGH in 2017. In recent years, I have served as the Chair of the Society of Immunotherapy in Cancer (SITC) Clinical Practice Guidelines Melanoma Subcommittee, the Chair of the SITC Immunotherapy Resistance Committee since 2020 which has developed definitions for immunotherapy resistance in multiple contexts, the co-Chair and then Chair of the SITC Science and Research Subcommittee, and most recently the Chair of the SITC Policy Committee.

What are the two or three critical issues facing the field of cancer immunotherapy?

Cancer immunotherapy has transformed the standard of care management of multiple malignancies. Despite this progress, most patients either do not respond to or will develop resistance after initial benefit from immunotherapy. The most important issue facing our patients, and thus the field, is immunotherapy resistance. We need to better define resistance clinically, link these definitions to mechanisms of resistance, and develop strategies to overcome resistance. This will require dedicated efforts to collect and analyze biospecimens from patients treated with immunotherapy to understand which patients will benefit from therapy and help understand why treatment does or does not work. To realize success in this space, teams of investigators spanning the clinical-translational-bench research continuum will need to be built, and academic and industry partnerships will need to be strengthened.

A second issue that the field must address to optimize the use of immunotherapy for patients with cancer is that of toxicity. When combinatorial chemotherapy regimens were developed in the latter half of the 20th century, the key discoveries that allowed for long-term survival included the development of potent anti-emetics and growth factor support. Similarly, addressing toxicity will be just as important for the realization of long-term survival for most patients treated with cancer immunotherapy, but the challenges are even greater. As the mechanisms of anti-tumor efficacy and toxicity are similar, research is sorely needed to determine what differences are driving anti-tumor immunity and the loss of tolerance associated, for example, immune related adverse events with immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI). Further, as new therapeutic approaches such as bi- and tri-specific molecules, T-cell engagers, vaccines, and cell therapies are emerging, and ICIs are being used earlier in the disease course for more indications (e.g. adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies), teasing out the distinct mechanisms of efficacy and toxicity is more critical than ever.

Finally, the most existential issue facing the field is the dual crises of funding scientific investigation and the weakening of institutions that support the translation and implementation of breakthroughs made by medical researchers.

What is Your Vision for SITC?

SITC began as a society of like-minded individuals embarking on a remarkable journey to transform the management for cancer patients through collaboration, innovation, and an eye towards translation into the clinic. Over its 40-year history, SITC has retained this ethos and grown to include education of clinicians, advocacy of its mission, and mentorship of the next generation as additional core values. Over the next 40-years and beyond, I expect continued growth of its membership, expansion of its annual meeting ability to highlight the most groundbreaking clinical trial results in addition to translational and bench research advances, and intensification of its advocacy to educate a broader group of stakeholders about the fruits of investing in immunotherapy research and development. The future is uncertain, but the path forward for the society will be an advocacy approach that engages with patients, researchers, regulators, funding bodies, and policy makers. SITC is well-positioned to be a leading voice in these challenging times.