Education and Scientific Exchange

39^th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs

The SITC 39^th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2024) continued its reign as the leading destination for scientific exchange, education, and networking in the cancer immunotherapy field.

Registration

SITC 2024 had over 5,300 attendees in person and virtually.

Abstracts

SITC 2024 received 1,536 abstract submissions, with a 132% increase in late-breaking clinical abstracts. The meeting included over 75 oral abstract presentations and over 1,450 poster abstract presentations.

Scientific Exchange

The Annual Meeting highlighted exciting advances and emerging areas of interest in the field, including:

• Using artificial intelligence-based technologies to analyze patient samples and identify biomarkers of response or resistance
• Novel approaches to remodel the tumor immune microenvironment to overcome resistance to immunotherapy and enhance anti-tumor immunity
• Identifying and characterizing cellular and molecular mechanisms' underlying factors that enhance response to cancer immunotherapy
• Innovative technologies and next-generation immunotherapies to address current hurdles in the field and to usher in the future of immuno-oncology

Each year, the Annual Meeting features two distinct lectures comprised of one keynote and one talk given by the Richard V. Smalley Memorial Award & Lectureship recipient. In his keynote address, What is T Cell Exhaustion?, Rafi Ahmed, PhD, FAIO – Emory University School of Medicine, provided new insights into the dynamic process of T cell exhaustion, including molecular and spatial characterization of the specific T cell subsets that arise through this process and translation of these insights new into clinical studies of HPV-positive cancers. In addition to increasing the field’s understanding of T cell exhaustion, these T cell subsets represent potential immunotherapy targets, facilitating development of novel immunotherapeutic approaches. 
  
The Richard V. Smalley Memorial Award & Lectureship was presented by Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, FAIO, FAACR, FACP, FAAAS – Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. In her presentation, The Era of Cancer Vaccines Has Arrived, Dr. Jaffee presented a comprehensive analysis of past and current work surrounding the development of cancer vaccines, specifically for pancreatic cancer, and insights learned from these studies. Dr. Jaffee also highlighted how vaccines can remodel immunologically “cold” tumors and the therapeutic potential of these agents in treating and preventing cancer, as monotherapy or in combination with other immunomodulatory approaches. 

Early Career Scientist Events

The future of cancer immunotherapy is rooted in research and education, primarily by early career scientists. SITC’s Early Career Scientist (ECS) Committee oversees the activities at SITC’s Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs for those in the early stages of their careers.

Spring Scientific: Metabolism at the Hub of Cancer and Immunity

The 2024 Spring Scientific explored the critical roles of the immune system, microbiome, and tumor metabolism in advancing cancer treatment through immunotherapy, including in-depth discussions on the latest scientific insights into the influence of metabolism on cancer and immunity. It also highlighted cutting-edge translational studies investigating how reprogramming metabolic pathways can enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapies, such as cell therapies and checkpoint blockade.

The program featured in-depth discussions into the latest scientific insights on the impact of metabolism on cancer and immunity and the newest translational studies investigating how reprogramming metabolic pathways can improve immunotherapies like cell therapies or checkpoint blockade.

Spring Scientific saw a record-breaking audience in 2024, and attendees and faculty shared how impressive the quality of the presentations were.

This program is supported, in part, by grants from Merck Sharp & Dohme, Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. (MSD), and Kite Pharma, Inc.

Special thank you to our Co-Organizers

Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy™

The 2024 Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy™ (ACI) series continued to educate clinicians on practical and cutting-edge IO treatments and considerations for patients. From tumor board-like panel discussions to in depth clinical updates on novel approvals, this cornerstone clinician education program continues to evolve to meet the needs of the modern clinical care team. 2024 marked some notable changes for the program. In addition to hosting eight live virtual ACIs, SITC hosted two in-person sessions at subspecialty group annual meetings: Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), and attendees and faculty shared how impressive the quality of the presentations were.

Over 1,000 attendees

Targeted programming on a specific disease state or modality
10 programs in 2024, now available on-demand


The 2024 Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy™ series is supported, in part, through independent medical education grants from AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. (MSD), and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.

AI in IO: SITC-NCI Computational Immuno-oncology Webinar Series

Reimagined for 2024, SITC partnered with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to host nine online courses focused specifically on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of immuno-oncology (IO).

Over 1,000 attendees

Nine webinars including topics on:

• Real-Time AI Monitoring and Early Detection of Immune-Related Adverse Events
• AI in Personalized Immunotherapies
• Predicting Early Diagnosis and Response with Multimodal AI

The AI in IO: SITC-NCI Computational Immuno-oncology Webinar Series is supported, in part, by NIH/NCI Grant # 3 U24 CA232979-01SA and Kite Pharma, Inc., and Lunit Inc.

Targets for Cancer IO: A Deep Dive Series

SITC hosted the fourth installment of its online seminar series, delving into cutting-edge research and emerging concepts in cancer immunotherapy. Through this deeper understanding, participants may address critical scientific questions and design more informed and innovative clinical trials for cancer immunotherapies.

Nearly 300 attendees

Seven webinars including topics on:

• Personalized Vaccines
• Tertiary Lymphoid Aggregates
• Role of Neutrophils in Anti-tumor Immunity 

This program was supported, in part, by grants from Amgen, Kite Pharma, Inc., and Ankyra Therapeutics.

Glyco-Immunology Webinar Series

Presented in collaboration with the Society for Glycobiology (SfG), SITC held the 2024 Glyco-Immunology Webinar Series to highlight exciting questions and opportunities in the field of glyco-immunology, an emerging area within the field of immuno-oncology.

Over 425 attendees

Three webinars on the following topics:

• Introduction to glyco-immunology
• Glycocheckpoints
• Glycan biology playing a role in Tx approaches for T-cell directed Tx

Special thank you to our Organizer