President's Message - December 2018

Dear Colleagues,

In my final Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Presidential Message, I thought I’d start with last month’s 33^rd Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2018). We welcomed 5,000 attendees; the society’s highest number to date. Also, SITC now has more than 2,400 society members – the highest number in our history, including researchers, clinicians, patient advocates and students. I would be remiss if I did not express my sincere appreciation to all of our funders who contributed to our success by supporting our many educational programs in 2018. The full list appears below. It has really been an extreme period of growth, both within our society as well as the field in general, and support from our partners has been instrumental.

It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve as SITC President, for these last two years, and I look forward to the leadership of Mario Sznol, MD, as incoming President and to continuing to participate in society leadership as Immediate Past President for two more years. This position has allowed me to participate in many field-wide initiatives around both the science (immune biomarkers, SITC Cancer Immunotherapy Winter School, immune responsiveness, cellular therapies, the SITC textbook) and the people in it (women’s networking, young investigators, international outreach, among others). It has put me around the table with my academic colleagues, pharma and biotech collaborators, leaders of related societies and NCI and FDA colleagues to discuss how we can work together towards our shared goals of meaningful science and therapies for patients. All of this work has been enabled and supported by all of you, the staff of SITC and especially Tara Withington, CAE, SITC’s Executive Director.

There has been important progress in the last several years, and there is much more to do. SITC will be a vehicle supporting progress for years to come, and I look forward to working with you all to make it happen.

Sincerely,














Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD
SITC President

President's Message - November 2018

Dear Colleagues,

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is now ready to welcome more than 4,000 attendees at our 33^rd Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2018) in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 7-11, 2018. The SITC 2018 team has worked for more than a year to present exemplary scientific and educational programs during our five-day annual conference that covers the breadth of basic, translational and clinical of cancer immunotherapy. The cutting-edge science being presented begins with the Industry Committee program on mechanisms of immune escape. The highly-attended primer serves as a refresher course for many professionals, while a new workshop on the microbiome in cancer therapy will lead into the meeting. These Pre-Conference Programs are Nov. 7-8.

The SITC Annual Meeting (from Nov. 9-11) is the premier venue for all aspects of immunotherapeutic research, and this year is no exception. There will be state-of-the-art immunotherapy clinical trial presentations that have the potential to change practice, and sessions will include T cell immunology, the tumor microenvironment and engineering the next-generation of immunotherapeutic agents. I wanted to remind you about the outstanding 2018 SITC Smalley Award Winner, Philip D. Greenberg, MD, (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center), who will discuss research on advancing cellular immunotherapies first thing Saturday morning. The Friday morning Keynote presentation from Nicholas P. Restifo, MD, (National Cancer Institute) will, no doubt, be excellent.

We must remember that all work and no play can make us quite dull indeed! The CheckPoints Party, the annual concert and gathering of the SITC family featuring our very own house band, is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, in the Marriott Marquis Liberty Ballroom. Many of your favorite leaders in the field (now featuring a Nobel Prize awardee!) will play rock and blues hits. I’ll see you all there!

Sincerely,














Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD
SITC President

P.S. Because SITC expects our highest attendance yet for an Annual Meeting, I’m encouraging attendees to pick up your badge and materials the night before your first program, to avoid the early morning onsite registration lines. SITC 2018 onsite registration begins on Wednesday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., at L St. Bridge of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Badge pick-up is also available from 6:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and a brief period on Sunday morning.

President's Message - October 2018

Dear Colleagues,

On Oct. 3, I was thrilled to hear the news that my friend and colleague, James P. Allison, PhD, was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, together with Tasuku Honjo, MD, PhD. As most of you know, Dr. Allison and Prof. Honjo (also both SITC Smalley Award recipients) are pioneers in the field of immune checkpoint blockade therapy, which has become a foundational component of cancer treatment across the globe. What a wonderful acknowledgement of the impact in our field to patients, and for the contributions of these two scientific world leaders.

Here in Pittsburgh, the sky is a bit grey, there is a cool breeze, and the trees are starting to change color. This can mean only one thing: the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s (SITC) 33^rd Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2018) are coming soon!

Our society’s Annual Meeting is the perfect gathering place for early career scientists. This fall, SITC will give out 33 young investigator awards – four presidential and 29 abstract travel awards – honoring some of the brightest young minds in the field. This year’s recipients are below. At SITC 2018, in addition to the Workshop on Nutrition, Metabolism and the Microbiome in Cancer Therapy, there will be great opportunities for abstract author networking during poster hall presentations on Nov. 9 and 10, or in small group discussions during the Meet-the-Expert Lunch and Grant Writing Workshop. The Meet-the-Expert Lunch connects young investigators to leaders in cancer immunotherapy to discuss topics most relevant to their careers. SITC is expanding this in-person program into a series of webinars throughout the year. SITC will host the first webinar on “How to Survive in Academia.”

The young investigators of SITC Sparkathon Class of 2017, Teams TimIOs and METIOR Incubator, are preparing to present their project updates during the 33^rd Annual Meeting. I was happy to kick off proceedings for the 28 young investigators of SITC Sparkathon Class of 2018 during their retreat in Chicago, Sept. 12-14, 2018. The winning project from these early career scientists will be announced soon. Learn more about the 2018 Class’s project in The Node, a SITC booth dedicated to early career scientists during the 33^rd Annual meeting. You can support the SITC Sparkathon through a contribution to the Forward Fund.

Also upcoming, SITC will host a co-sponsored workshop with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Immune-modified Response Criteria in Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Trials. This free, innovative workshop, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018, prior to the 33^rd Annual Meeting, is another step forward for SITC as we positively leverage relationships with organizations and governmental agencies to incite progress in the field. More details on this workshop are provided further below.

I am excited about a new education program from SITC early next year. The SITC Winter School, scheduled for Feb. 18-22, 2019, in Mesa, Ariz. This five-day program will teach core principles of the field and focus on multiple topics including biomarker technology, clinical trial design, grant writing and have discussion sessions. Click here to learn more about this important program and register.

In August, SITC launched a new series of online communities created exclusively for SITC members. These SITC Professional Interest Communities, including clinical and post-doctoral trainees, graduate students and international young investigators, allow members to discuss topics relevant to their research and in their careers, to build relationships with colleagues and solve hurdles in the field. Click here to learn more about the SITC Professional Interest Communities.

With all of these opportunities for young investigators, the future of the field is in a good place.

Sincerely,














Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD
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

On Tap at SITC 2017 - Nov. 12

On Tap Today

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is very happy to welcome our delegates for one more day of scientific exchange at the 32nd Annual Meeting.

Here's a look at what's on tap for today, and continue scrolling to learn about exciting news for the society in 2018.