Dear Colleagues,
As the summer months progress, I am pleased to update you all about a
number of activities the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is
undertaking to accelerate our commitment to supporting the next
generation of young investigators, increasing funding for basic science,
and in the process, creating a Washington, D.C. presence for the
society.
Several SITC leaders and a patient advocates joined me as we
partnered with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) to
co-host a congressional briefing on July 19, 2017. The presentation,
“Progress in Immunotherapy: Delivering Hope and Clinical Benefit to
Cancer Patients” was the first ever congressional briefing dedicated to
cancer immunotherapy. The presentation focused on building upon the
successes of cancer immunotherapy, addressing the critical concerns
facing our research, outlining ways to continue progress through
increasing overall participation, and diversity in clinical trials. The
importance of ongoing research was discussed, as well as the
consequences of the proposed 20 percent cut in National Institutes of Health (NIH)
funding on our efforts. SITC has retained the services of Cornerstone
Government Affairs, LLC, with Erik Fatemi serving as consultant, to
assist SITC with specific policy related activities, focusing on
increasing funding for immunotherapy, and raising awareness about SITC’s
activities and contributions.
To further support the policy and advocacy efforts, Jacqueline Smith
has joined SITC and will serve as Policy and Advocacy Manager in
Washington, D.C. In addition to having worked for U.S. Senator Kirsten
Gillibrand (D-NY), Jacqueline has advanced degrees with an emphasis on
policy and oncology, and is a two-time stage III melanoma survivor who
participated in the 2008 Schering-Plough PEG-Intron trial. Her current
status of no evidence of disease, now many years since treatment,
confirms that immunotherapy indeed saves lives. Please join me in welcoming Jacqueline to the SITC team.
And lastly, SITC held a bipartisan congressional visit with key
staffers in D.C. on August 17, 2017. I was joined by Executive Director
Tara Withington, Jacqueline Smith and Erik Fatemi as we discussed the
positive impact National Cancer Institute (NCI) funding has had on
research advancements in the field of cancer immunotherapy and how SITC
can support future efforts. Stay tuned…and thank you for your continued
support.
Best wishes,
Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD
SITC President
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