Get to Know Sentinel Author: Otto F. Sankey, PhD

(Editor's Note: The Sentinel, the official blog of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, will provide SITC Members a digital space to share their expertise and experience being in or around the field of cancer immunotherapy. To introduce these member authors to readers of The Sentinel, SITC will be publishing Q&As in the coming days.)

Name: Otto F. Sankey, PhD

Dr. Sankey

Title: Regents’ Professor of Physics

Employer: Emeritus, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ

When and why did you become a SITC member? 

I've been a member for 2 years as a prostate cancer advocate. There are no known cures for metastatic prostate cancer and immunotherapy has the potential for a cure.

Can you briefly explain the work you are doing in the field? 

I’m very much involved in the prostate cancer support/advocacy community which includes organizing seminars/conferences, leading an Us TOO prostate cancer support/education group, and giving talks on immunotherapy at such places as the Mayo Hospital in PHX.

Who or what inspired you to choose this specific career path? 

Dr. Sankey

I did not choose prostate cancer. It chose me.

What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing in the field? 

If you’ve seen one case of prostate cancer, you’ve seen one case of prostate cancer. Each one is unique. Being a solid tumor cancer that is generally not highly mutated, immunotherapy has not had much of an impact (yet!) on treatment of prostate cancer.

What topic(s) do you plan to write about for The Sentinel, SITC’s new blog?

Immunotherapy and its application to metastatic prostate cancer.

What do you hope readers will gain from this new blog? 

PCa is the most diagnosed cancer in men. 1 in 6 are diagnosed, and of those diagnosed, 1 in 6 die from it. Research activity is far lacking compared to breast cancer. I wish to promote awareness to the problem of prostate cancer.