President's Message - October 2020

Dear Colleagues,

Our society continues its preparations toward our fully virtual 35th Anniversary Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2020), scheduled for Nov. 9–14, 2020. Please take note that the SITC 2020 meeting registration fee has been waived for ALL SITC members. You can become a member or renew your membership during the SITC 2020 online registration process.

Also, to accommodate for the COVID-19 impact on cancer immunotherapy research this year, the late-breaking abstract (LBA) submission period will be opened to everyone. SITC will not require an LBA application to be submitted beforehand. Previously submitted LBA applications will automatically be invited to submit a full LBA during the LBA submission period, Sept. 8-22, 2020, at 5 p.m. PDT.

In addition to the intense preparations for the Annual Meeting, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer continues to make progress on its objectives for this year. Educating clinicians on all aspects of cancer immunotherapy is one of our main objectives and directly serves the goal of improving patient outcomes. This past month the Certificate in Cancer Immunotherapy Program was launched, and is being offered online via our society’s SITC Cancer Immunotherapy connectED platform. The SITC certificate consists of eight learning modules all of which offer relevant education credits (CME, CNE, CPE and MOC).  After successful completion of the modules, the SITC Graduate in Cancer Immunotherapy (SITC-G) designation is granted and identifies a healthcare provider who has completed specialized training in cancer immunotherapy.

The first of eight modules, presented by Robert Ferris, MD, PhD (Director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, long-time SITC member and past At-Large Director), is now online. It covers basic concepts of immunology, including innate and adaptive immune responses. The other seven module topics, which will be launched in the weeks ahead, include:

• Basic Cancer Immunotherapy Concepts
• Immune Checkpoint Blockade
• Managing Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Adverse Events
• Other Approaches, including Cytokines, Vaccines, Immune Cell Engagers
• Oncolytic Viruses and Intralesional Therapy
• CAR T Cell and Cellular Therapy
• Implementing Cancer Immunotherapy in Clinical Practice

SITC executive leadership, faculty and staff have put many months of effort in the planning and continued execution of this exciting new SITC program. I would like to thank all of those involved in the Certificate in Cancer Immunotherapy program, including Executive Director Tara Withington, CAE, and Past President Howard L. Kaufman, MD, FACS, both of whom championed this effort and the need for such a program for multiple years.

To learn more about eligibility requirements to earn your Certificate in Cancer Immunotherapy, please click here. SITC members receive a 20 percent discount on all Certificate in Cancer Immunotherapy modules, so if you haven’t yet, please be sure to join the SITC family to take advantage of this exclusive member benefit.

Sincerely, 

Mario Sznol, MD

SITC President

President's Message - August 2019

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

President's Message - January 2019

Dear Colleagues,

I am excited and honored to address you in my first monthly message as President of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC). I have enjoyed the past two years as SITC’s Vice President, supporting Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD, SITC’s first female president, during her tenure as leader of our society. Thank you, Dr. Butterfield, for setting a foundation for the increased inclusion, development, and celebration of women in cancer immunotherapy. The society appreciates your continued leadership and commitment to the field and our organization!

As I assume this role on the heels of another successful year for SITC – which includes reaching new marks within our membership and a record-breaking 5,000 attendees at our Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs – I am looking forward to helping continue our society’s tremendous growth. During my tenure as President, I will work to sustain SITC’s commitment as the leading member association in cancer immunotherapy. I will also ensure SITC remains the host to the most important meeting in the field, as we provide a platform for the presentation of phase 1 clinical trial data that provide insight into the future of immuno-oncology.

SITC has many exciting programs and initiatives slated for the next 12 months, all of which seek to improve cancer patient outcomes by advancing the science, development and application of cancer immunotherapy. A more complete listing of these initiatives is provided below, and I would like to highlight a few occurring in the near future.

It is critical for SITC to continue its emphasis in growing the next generation of leaders in cancer immunotherapy and tumor immunology. This is an area I am keenly focused on and support heavily. To that end, SITC is pleased to continue to offer SITC Fellowship Awards in 2019. Made possible through generous support from our industry partners, SITC Fellowships honor some of the brightest young minds in the field. The development and celebration of young investigators in our field is an important strategic priority of the society and one of my foci as President.

Additionally, registrations are open for SITC’s first Cancer Immunotherapy Winter School. Scheduled for Feb. 18-22 in Mesa, Ariz., this new program, tailored to early career scientists and clinicians as well as those new to the field, will teach the fundamentals of cancer immunotherapy and allow attendees to choose from a variety of tracks that focus on topics most relevant to them. Space is limited so register early! Also, SITC will host its first Meet-the-Expert Webinar on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 12:30 p.m. CST. This hour-long webinar, moderated by Sruthi Ravindranathan, PhD (Emory University), and with participation from presenter Vionnie W.C. Yu, PhD (Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research), will focus on the topic Careers in Industry. Please click here to register for this free online event.

SITC continues its 2018-19 Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy™ (ACI) regional education program series, with events currently confirmed for Sacramento, Calif., on Jan. 10 in Houston on Feb. 9 and in Portland, Ore., on Feb. 21. Also, we look forward to hosting two, back-to-back thoughtful and engaging interim workshops, focused on cancer immune responsiveness and resistance; and adoptive cellular therapy. Stay tuned for information regarding location, registration and lodging.

If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll consider joining or renewing your SITC membership in 2019 to enjoy a variety of member benefits, including early access to register for the 34^th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs, scheduled for Nov. 6-10, 2019, in National Harbor, Md.

I am excited to strengthen existing, and build new, relationships with leaders in the field as we work together to continue the growth and success of the society.

Sincerely,

Mario Sznol, MD
SITC President

President's Message - September 2018

Dear Colleagues,

While I hope that you all have been enjoying a little slow down during this summer, I want you to know that the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) never sleeps! SITC’s membership has for the first time exceeded 2,000 members, and we are working to ensure our members’ voice is heard by policymakers in our nation’s capital throughout the year. During the past months, SITC has increased its efforts in the policy and advocacy realm. We have added staff dedicated to managing these complex interactions and continued to work with the consulting firm, Cornerstone Government Affairs, LLC, to support our viewpoints in Washington, D.C.

Recently, the SITC Board of Directors helped to define and expand the efforts of our society’s Policy and Advocacy Committee by adding three subcommittees. These subcommittees will conduct work and report on three distinct areas of the field: science and research, regulatory and quality.

This group has made great progress on a number of issues in the past year, including:

• Successfully advocating for an increase in funding for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) in Fiscal Year 2019 (from $15 million to $20 million)
• SITC-proposed language accepted verbatim in a pair of reports to advocate on behalf of our members and apprise decision makers of field expert opinions on critical issues affecting all aspects of the cancer immunotherapy field, including:
• An FDA report on the need to develop standardized templates for reporting toxicities in cancer immunotherapy clinical trials (view SITC language, accepted in May 2018, here)
• A National Institutes of Health-National Cancer Institute (NIH-NCI) report on the need to prioritize research and education on the underlying mechanisms of cancer immunotherapy toxicities and training for young and mid-career investigators (view SITC language, accepted in June 2018, here)
• A July 2017 response letter to the Congress Healthcare Innovative Caucus (request for comment here) regarding value-based provider payment reform
• A June 2018 response letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding the National Coverage Analysis for CAR T therapies

SITC also continues to strengthen relationships with partnering organizations.

SITC is pleased to partner with Friends of Cancer Research (FOCR) to address critical issues regarding the value of immunotherapy and immuno-oncology agents. Through this collaboration, SITC and FOCR will review current value models and provide guidance on redefining value frameworks for the unique aspects of cancer immunotherapy. This effort will ensure patients and healthcare professionals have the appropriate information to make informed treatment decisions and have access to high-quality treatment options.

SITC is working with the FDA to provide education to employees on critical aspects of cancer immunotherapy research while also collaborating strategically to positively affect the future of the field. We met with FDA leaders July 18 to discuss several initiatives of common interest and will return to the FDA campus on Sept. 17 to give FDA OCE Rounds. These visits will be regular events going forward to keep our interactions effective and timely.

Cancer immunotherapy has to evolve on all fronts to have the optimal impact on patients. The work of SITC’s policy committee and our FDA collaborations will address important aspects of the field that compliment all of the work you are all doing in your labs, clinics and offices.

Sincerely,














Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD
SITC President

President's Message - August 2018

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer immunotherapy education is important even in the summertime. The FDA continues to grant immunotherapeutic approvals in new disease states, as well as integrate tumor biomarker status into indications. The most recent examples of approvals include pembrolizumab for PD-L1-positive cervical cancer patients and combination nivolumab and ipilimumab for patients with MSI-H/dMMR-positive colorectal cancer.

Therefore, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) will soon begin the sixth year of its Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy™ (ACI) series. These regional education programs based in academic medical centers and in online education provide opportunities for healthcare professionals – particularly those in the community setting – to get up to date on immunotherapy and discuss patient management.  SITC will host 15 ACI programs throughout the United States and Canada during the 2018-19 series featuring disease-specific sessions on lung cancer, melanoma, head and neck cancers, genitourinary cancers and hematologic malignancies. These 4.5-hour programs are CME-, CNE- and CPE-certified programs presented by the local experts in tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy. Clinicians, students and patient advocates may attend for free. Note that registration is now open for the ACI in Madison, Wis. (Sept. 6, 2018) and Boston, Mass. (Sept. 27, 2018) (we’ll continue to announce future dates and locations). The Sept. 6 ACI will also be live streamed, so you can attend from wherever you are!

On July 17, SITC published the highly anticipated, “The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer consensus statement on immunotherapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC),” the society’s sixth manuscript of the series, in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC), the society’s open access, peer-reviewed online journal. The guideline includes recommendations on treatment scheduling concerning the most recent U.S. FDA-approved immunotherapies, a discussion about late-breaking data from 2018, the use of predictive biomarkers including PD-L1 and tumor mutational burden and managing immune-related adverse events. A big thank you and congratulations to the SITC Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines NSCLC Subcommittee, chaired by Roy Herbst, MD, PhD (Yale Cancer Center), and co-chaired by Julie Brahmer, MD (Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins), Ramaswamy Govindan, MD (Washington University School of Medicine), and Naiyer Rizvi, MD (Columbia University Medical Center), for this important contribution to the field.

SITC will host a one-hour, free webinar on Thursday, Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. EDT, featuring members of the NSCLC Subcommittee. This webinar will review the guidelines and provide a unique Q&A forum between participants and faculty.

Lastly, SITC is about to announce a new educational initiative that I am particularly excited about, the “2019 SITC Winter School.” Planned for February 2019 in Phoenix, Ariz., SITC Winter School will educate early career scientists and physicians about the core principles of cancer immunotherapy, biomarker technologies, clinical trial design, grant writing and more, over an intensive and interactive five-day program.

I hope that you all enjoy the rest of your summer.  It’s a great time to catch up on all things immunotherapy!

Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD
SITC President

President’s Message – February 2018

Dear Colleagues,

As the field of cancer immunotherapy and tumor immunology has grown, so too has the critical need for both global scientific exchange and educational opportunities for a wide array of groups.

Education and scientific exchange is the cornerstone of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer.  While the Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs and the Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy™ regional programs are well-known offerings, our society’s impact extends to many collaborative education programs as well.

SITC partners with other organizations around the world. These initiatives offer investigators opportunity for scientific exchange and networking, and provide high-quality education for advanced practice providers to learn current treatment strategies involving cancer immunotherapy.

In the past three years alone, SITC has supported more than 60 collaborative programs through connecting SITC member experts as speakers; SITC members’ direction on content development; organization and faculty selection of programs; marketing and promotion; financial support of educational programs; and access to SITC resources.

These are some highlights of upcoming collaborations involving SITC:

• 4th Forum on Immunotherapy and Translational Immunology of Cancer (FIT Cancer IV), a collaboration with the Spanish Group for Immuno-Biological Therapies in Cancer (GÉTICA) in Madrid, Spain, March 8-10
• Fifth Immunotherapy of Cancer Conference (iTOC5), a collaboration with the Cancer Drug Development Forum (CDDF) in Berlin, Germany, March 19-21
• Immuno-Oncology Young Investigators' Forum, a mentoring event in collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Creative Educational Concepts, Inc. (CEC) in Houston, Texas, April 19-22
• Combination Cancer Immunotherapy: Expanding Clinical Success, a SITC session at the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas, May 5

Ultimately, all of these programs address the goals put forth in the SITC 2016-18 Strategic Plan:

• Collaboration: Cultivate meaningful relationships with key strategic partners
• Engagement: Create a network of cancer immunotherapy stakeholders, providing greater opportunities for engagement and interaction
• Education and Scientific Exchange: Serve as the leading resource for information and education on cancer immunotherapy
• Global Impact: Advance the science and application of cancer immunotherapy world-wide
• Science and Research: Challenge the thinking and seek the best research in the exploration and development of tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy

We’re looking forward to an additional 20+ educational programs in 2018. Our society has flourished because of our outstanding members. Thank you all for sharing your expertise and experience, dedication and leadership, which have allowed SITC to make strides towards making the word “cure” a reality for patients everywhere.

Best wishes,

Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD

SITC President