SITC's Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines program is a
collectio
n of Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) developed by multi-disciplinary panels of experts who draw from their own practical experience as well as evidence in the published literature and clinical trial data to develop evidence- and consensus-based recommendations. SITC uses as a model the Institute of Medicine's 2011 "Standards for Developing Trustworthy Clinical Practice Guidelines" to ensure the recommendations are unbiased, transparent and balanced will aid oncologists in effective clinical decision-making concerning patient selection, toxicity management, response evaluation, and the sequencing or combination of therapies, among other topics.
The Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-related Adverse Events Guideline Expert Panel was formed to generate consensus recommendations pertaining to the treatment of patients with Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). ICIs are antibodies designed to block key regulatory signals that dampen immune responses, counteracting immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment and thus enabling tumor-reactive T cells to mount a more effective anti-cancer response. While ICIs have improved patient outcomes in a number of clinical settings, the same mechanisms that underpin their effective anti-tumor properties may cause unique toxicities, specifically immune-related adverse events (irAEs). As ICIs increasingly become integrated into treatment plans for an ever-increasing number of disease settings, there is a need for clear, expert guidance on the recognition and management of irAEs. SITC assembled the expert panel to discuss and is currently generating recommendations on best practices for addressing some of the most commonly reported irAEs that arise during treatment with ICIs, including gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and dermatologic toxicities, among other key considerations for oncologists treating their patients with these agents. A companion guideline on the management of immune effector cell-related adverse events published on December 16, 2020 in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC)