A Message from the President

 

Dear Colleagues,

The past year has been one of significant scientific progress for the field of cancer immunotherapy and tumor immunology. Among the highlights:

• Pembrolizumab received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for treating patients with MSI-H/dMMR-positive solid tumors, marking the first ever "tissue-agnostic" designation for any cancer therapeutic, defining disease based on biomarker status rather than tissue location
• CAR T cell therapies obtained initial FDA approvals for treating both DLBCL and B-ALL following very positive clinical trial results
• Cancer immunotherapies also continued to gain new indications by obtaining initial FDA approvals in hepatocellular carcinoma (nivolumab), Merkel Cell Carcinoma (avelumab), and gastric/GEJ cancers (pembrolizumab)
• Multiple cancer immunotherapeutics including nivolumab, pembrolizumab, durvalumab, avelumab, and atezolizumab became options for treating patients with bladder cancer

As we look ahead to 2018, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) will continue to create opportunities for collaboration and scientific exchange for our growing membership base and beyond. Today, I'd like to single out two inter-connected workshops SITC has planned for May 2018 on biomarkers and cancer immune responsiveness.

SITC's newly-formed Cancer Immune Responsiveness Task Force will host a two-day workshop May 14-15 on topics that include tumor evolution in the immune competent host and the resulting immune landscape; identification of common pathways that should be targeted to understand and increase immunogenicity among silent or "cold" cancers and more.

Ten years after its inception, the SITC Immune Biomarkers Task Force will lead a two-day workshop May 16-17 to discuss critical next steps in biomarker science and assay development. Session topics will include best practices and validation; biomarker identification; data and specimen sharing and much more.

The 2018 Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2018) – which will take place Nov. 7-11 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. – will always be our society's hallmark event. SITC hosts interim programs throughout the year to provide focused opportunities to move new developments and initiatives forward for improving cancer patient outcomes through the advancement of science and clinical application of cancer immunotherapy.

Both of the workshops mentioned will be open to the public. Stay tuned to SITC in the New Year for additional event information.

Sincerely,
 

 

Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD
SITC President

Education

SITC 2017 PRESENTATIONS AND LATE-BREAKING ABSTRACTS AVAILABLE

Access presentation slides and synchronized video recordings of the 32nd Annual Meeting and Pre-Conference Programs online now.*

• Immuno-Oncology Biomarkers: Today's Imperatives for Tomorrow's Needs
• 2nd World Immunotherapy Council Young Investigator Symposium
• Primer on Tumor Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy™
• Workshop on Single Cell Techniques in Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy
• Grant Writing Workshop
• 32nd Annual Meeting
• Hot Topic: Advancing the Field: Can Physics and Mathematics Impact the Development of Tumor Immunotherapy?

*Availability of enduring materials is dependent on faculty permission.

All SITC 2017 abstracts have been published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC).

• Regular abstracts, published Nov. 7
• Late-breaking abstracts, published Dec. 7

CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY EDUCATION NEAR YOU

Attend a regional introductory immunotherapy education program in your area and earn CME, CNE, and CPE credits. Find an Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy™ program location near you and visit our site for details about the programs and how to register.

• Jan. 19, 2018 – Atlanta, GA
• Feb. 9, 2018 – Durham, NC
• Feb. 24, 2018 – Charleston, SC
• March 3, 2018 – Dallas, TX
• March 10, 2018 – Miami, FL
• March 24, 2018 – Buffalo, NY
  
  

Science, Research & Publications

CALL FOR PAPERS: JITC NOW WELCOMING SUBMISSIONS ON THREE KEY TOPICS

Now through March 2, 2018, JITC welcomes submissions on the topics of Emerging Immunotherapeutic Agents, New Regulatory Approvals in Cancer Immunotherapy, and Challenges in Clinical Management. Articles submitted will be reviewed for publication within a dedicated thematic series, providing even greater opportunity for research to reach cancer immunotherapy leaders and administrators throughout the world.

Full details and submission guidelines may be found here.

CALL FOR COMMENT: CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY GUIDELINES FOR CUTANEOUS MELANOMA, VERSION 2.0

SITC invites all members of the society to provide feedback on the draft version of the updated Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines for Cutaneous Melanoma, Version 2.0, developed by the Melanoma Task Force. During the 30-day open comment period, from Dec. 6, 2017 until Jan. 4, 2018, SITC members can review and provide feedback on the Consensus Statement and Treatment algorithms, after which the Task Force will determine whether and how to revise the manuscript. All comments received will be published as supplemental information with the manuscript, along with the name and institution of the contributor.

 

Your feedback is important to make this a truly consensus effort, reflective of the experience and expertise of the entire melanoma community!

SITC members, please click here for information about how to submit your comments.

Non-members, join SITC to provide your feedback and access all that SITC has to offer!

LOOKING FOR A HOLIDAY GIFT THAT WILL DELIGHT THE IMMUNO-ONCOLOGIST IN YOUR LIFE?

SITC's comprehensive textbook, Cancer Immunotherapy Principles and Practice, features five sections and over 50 chapters authored by leading authorities in the field. This reference work will be invaluable to any healthcare practitioner seeking to understand the basic science and clinical application of cancer immunotherapy. Online access to the digital book is included with purchase, and SITC members are eligible to receive a 20 percent discount and FREE shipping. Give the gift of knowledge with a book they will use for many years to come!

 

Policy 

CAPITOL HILL UPDATES

The House Energy & Commerce Committee subcommittee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pension (HELP) Committee held hearings focused on progress made during the first year of the implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act. Frances Collins, MD, PhD, Director of NIH, and Scott Gottlieb, MD, Director of FDA, testified at both hearings.

Dr. Collins reported on the Cancer Moonshot progress, stating one of the primary goals of 21st Century Cures is to speed the pace at which treatments are passed on to patients for cures, while ensuring predictable, robust funding for future generations of researchers.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Gottlieb presented an overview of the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE). He spoke about the Center's role in expediting the approval of CAR-T therapy. When characterizing the success of CAR-T, Dr. Gottlieb stated CAR-T is evidence how one treatment can change the way in which tumors are treated. He also said the OCE seeks to be a model for other diseases in terms of consolidating clinical reviews.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash), agreed that the 21st Century Cures Act provides hope to those in need of treatment by expediting the rates of approval for novel treatments – and to those people the NIH represents the "National Institute of Hope."

EMD SERONO'S 2017 GLOBAL PATIENT ADVOCACY SUMMIT

 

Past SITC President, Howard L. Kaufman, MD, FACS, will speak on a panel titled, "Connecting a Global IO Community: Identifying Gaps and Opportunities to Create a Level Playing Field" at the 2017 EMD Serono Global Patient Advocacy Summit. This year's summit will focus on specific topics important to the oncology patient advocacy community including: Connecting a Global Immuno-Oncology (IO) Community, Integrating Patient Perspectives in Value Frameworks and Clinical Guidelines, and Involving Patient Advocacy Groups and Patients in Clinical Trials.

 Society

SITC SEEKS MEMBER CONTRIBUTORS FOR NEW BLOG

SITC seeks member contributors of all experience levels and professional backgrounds who wish to contribute to the society’s new blog. Potential topics will vary from writing about disease-specific advances in cancer immunotherapy research to basic 101 explanatory posts for the patient community.

If you are a member of the society and have an interest in becoming a SITC blogger, or if you have specific recommendations for content areas the blog should focus on, please email us at communications@sitcancer.org