Why combine immunotherapy with targeted radiation therapy?

by Christian Hyde, MD

In the World War 2 movie, "Saving Private Ryan," a small town held by Allied foot soldiers is being over-run by Nazi tanks. At the crucial moment in the battle, when all hope seems lost, a friendly Allied airplane turns the tide by bombing an armored tank and rallying the exhausted defenders.

Get to Know Sentinel Author: Alexandra Cadena

Name: Alexandra Cadena

Cadena

Title: Research Intern

Employer: MD Anderson Cancer Center

When and why did you become a SITC member?

I became a SITC member about two years ago when I was a college student interning over the summer in the Experimental Rad Onc. Department at MD Anderson. My PI at the time encouraged me to submit an abstract to SITC on a retrospective study I did correlating tumor growth kinetics with response to immunotherapy. My abstract got accepted and I poster presented at National Harbor in 2015. After that experience, I truly fell in love with the SITC community and saw the field of immuno-oncology (IO) as the solution to shifting the scientific paradigm. What I most enjoy about being a SITC member is the diversity of talent the group draws from. I think they have really found an amazing balance of bringing all voices, from all different disciplines to the table to discuss advances in cancer immunotherapy. I find this refreshing in a world that constantly seeks to compartmentalizes and subspecialize what we know.