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June 2016 – In this Issue
Society & Forward Fund | Science & Research
Education | Membership | Publications
A Message from the President
Dear Colleagues,
I would like to extend congratulations to the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) leadership and members for the success of the SITC Immunoscore Validation Project. Earlier this month, Jérôme Galon, PhD, principal investigator and SITC Board member, reported during the oral abstract session at ASCO 2016 that the prespecified primary endpoint of the Immunoscore project had been met. Among stage I–III colon cancer patients, time-to-recurrence was significantly longer in patients classified as Immunoscore-High vs. Immunoscore-Low. Additionally, the Immunoscore classification was able to identify a subgroup of high-risk stage II colon cancer patients. Positive results were also reported for secondary objectives including a direct association of Immunoscore with disease-free and overall survival. The results reported from this study are the culmination of a SITC-led, worldwide collaboration more than five years in the making.
The SITC Immunoscore Validation Project was initiated with 23 centers in 17 countries. This project was organized through collaborations with the European Academy of Tumor Immunology; the Cancer and Inflammation Program; the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health; and La Fondazione Melanoma. SITC would like to thank those who participated in the steering committee—Bernard A. Fox, PhD (chair); Carlo Bifulco, MD; Francesco Marincola, MD; Jérôme Galon, PhD and Paolo Ascierto, MD—for their continued work and dedication to this project and to congratulate them on the success and fruition of this stage of the project.
This collaborative effort demonstrates SITC’s ability to unite key stakeholders in the field. This work opens the door for future initiatives to investigate the Immunoscore and other biomarkers in colorectal cancer and other malignancies; perhaps it may also allow stratification of patients receiving immunotherapy in clinical trials. To ensure the data from the Immunoscore project has the most far-reaching impact, SITC has prioritized data exchange and sharing. To do so, SITC has recently announced a Key Information Release prior to the full publication of these results and plans to make all of the Immunoscore data available in the near future.
Again, we want to thank all of those who have been involved in this project. Because of those who contributed, SITC was able to accomplish this global collaboration that moves the field forward.
Best regards,
Howard L. Kaufman, MD, FACS
SITC President
Society & Forward Fund
Events
On June 29, 2016, the Vice President convened a Cancer Moonshot Summit in Washington, D.C. SITC was represented by the society's Executive Director, Tara Withington, CAE. SITC also hosted a virtual summit in order allow for members, colleagues, patients, and advocates to participate in important discussion regarding the goals of the Cancer Moonshot Initiative.
SITC's Summit was hosted on Twitter concurrently from 10:00 am – noon CDT. While the summit is over, the discussion lives on. Visit our Twitter feed and search hashtag #SITCSummit to see what SITC thought leaders had to say and provide your comments on how together, we’re making cure a reality.
In Case You Missed It
Congratulations to the 2016 Postdoctoral Cancer Immunotherapy Fellowship recipients:
2016 SITC-AstraZeneca Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Fellowship in
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Miguel F. Sanmamed, MD, PhD
Yale University, United States
2016 SITC-EMD Serono Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Fellowship
Eric L. Smith, MD, PhD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, United States
2016 SITC-Genentech Postdoctoral Cancer Immunotherapy Basic Fellowship in Related Biomarkers
Ada G. Blidner, MSc, PhD
Immunopathology Laboratory Institute of Biology and Experimental Medicine, Argentina
2016 SITC-Genentech Postdoctoral Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Fellowship in Related Biomarkers or Mechanism of Action (MOA)
Claire F. Friedman, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, United States
SITC - MRA Young Investigator Award
Ping-Chih Ho, PhD
University of Lausanne, Switzerland
2016 NCI Immunotherapy Fellowship
Julius Strauss, MD
National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, United States
Science & Research
Hematologic Malignancies Guidelines Review Period Now Open
The SITC Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines Task Force for Hematologic Malignancies has created guidelines to provide evidence-based consensus recommendations for the use of cancer immunotherapy in the clinical management of multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and acute leukemia. Because our membership is comprised of the world’s leading authority on cancer immunotherapy, we are seeking your feedback on this important manuscript before it is published.
Open to SITC members only, the review period closes on July 20, 2016 at 5:00 pm EST.
Your feedback on the development of this Consensus Statement is critical, as it provides an opportunity for the authors to review their recommendations. View this statement and submit your comments here.
In Case You Missed It
SITC Immunoscore Validation Project Key Information Release
SITC is pleased to announce a Key Information Release for the SITC Immunoscore Validation Project. Key information will be distributed to qualified entities upon request through July 5, 2016. Click here to fill out our Information Request Form.
Education
Cancer Immunotherapy 101 – San Diego California
Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine
La Jolla, California | Friday, July 29, 2016 | 8:00 a.m. – noon
Embrace the opportunity to learn from and network with other professionals in the greater San Diego area. This SITC CME- and CE-certified program is specifically designed to teach the basic principles of tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy, providing clinical teams with the foundation they need to care for their patients utilizing cancer immunotherapy. Learn more and register here.
SITC's 31st Annual Meeting & Associated Programs
Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center
Book now! Rooms are filling up fast!
National Harbor, Maryland | November 9 – 13, 2016
There are more opportunities than ever to earn the chance to present your work at SITC 2016. Submit an abstract to SITC’s 31st Annual Meeting or apply for a presentation spot at SITC’s New Cancer Immunotherapy Agents in Development program by 5:00 pm EST on August 8th to be considered for a chance at joining the main stage at the conference that is all cancer immunotherapy, all the time. Learn more here.
SITC 31st Annual Meeting Exhibit Booth Reservations
If you have a product or service that will advance research or accelerate laboratory results, don’t miss the opportunity to exhibit at the SITC 31st Annual Meeting, November 11 – 13, 2016 in National Harbor, Maryland. Last year’s exhibit space sold out quickly! Make your reservation before it’s too late.
Please review the Exhibitor Prospectus for booth details, or visit our website to book your booth today. For information about exhibiting at SITC 2016, contact the SITC Development Office at (414) 271-2456 or development@sitcancer.org.
In Case You Missed It
There were numerous cancer immunotherapy educational opportunities available in the month of June around the globe. SITC was proud to collaborate with several different organizations on the following programs:
- Rational Combinations 360°
- Cancer Immunotherapy 101
- Regulatory Myeloid Suppressor Cells: From Basic Discovery to Application
- Bridging the Gap Between Immunotherapy & Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy
- T Cell Based Immunotherapy: A Deeper Dive
- The Future Is Now: The Evolution of Immunotherapy in Cancer
- Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Answering Clinically Relevant Questions
- How to Integrate Tumor Immunotherapy Into Your Clinical Practice Pre-Annual Meeting Seminar
Click here to learn more about SITC's educational opportunities.
Membership
Join the Community
Membership
A SITC membership offers opportunities to catalyze your research, to create new connections across sectors and to contribute to cutting-edge scientific endeavors. As a member-driven society, SITC members collaborate to create important educational and networking events, publications and resources that are valuable to researchers, scientists, clinicians and patients alike. Whether you are a young investigator or luminary in the field, SITC membership can help you meet your goals while advancing the science and application of cancer immunotherapy. See more on member benefits here.
Connect-a-Colleague
The Connect-a-Colleague program is a great way to continue to grow the society's network of individuals in the cancer immunotherapy community. Together, we can increase the reach of education and collaboration so that we can make "cure" a reality for cancer patients everywhere. Visit our website to see the specifics on the program and begin encouraging your colleagues to become SITC members today!
Social Media
Participating in conversations on social media is a great way to stay connected to others in the field. It is seldom that you can get real-time feedback and information from clinicians, patients, researchers, industry, advocates, and all other cancer immunotherapy stakeholders on any other platform. Follow SITC on Twitter, “Like” us on Facebook and join the LinkedIn group to be an active member of our growing social media community.
In Case You Missed It
SITC would like to thank everyone who participated in #WhiteOutCancer Day on June 17th. It was great to have so many people raising awareness about cancer immunotherapy and sharing stories on how cancer has affected their lives. Look for future events on our website and social media pages.
Publications
JITC – The Resource for Cutting-Edge Science in the Field
Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC) is SITC's official open access, peer-reviewed journal. It encompasses all aspects of tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy, from basic research to clinical application. As the global voice of the society, JITC is the resource for SITC publications and also serves as a targeted outlet for publication of original research articles, literature reviews and position papers.
Interested in publishing in JITC? SITC members receive waived article processing charges for papers accepted through 2016. Submit your manuscript here.
In Case You Missed It
The June issue of JITC was published June 22nd. Among the great, engaging articles, several of SITC leaders published “Society for immunotherapy of cancer (SITC) statement on the proposed changes to the common rule.” This article provides valuable feedback on the proposed changes and suggests recommendations on further actions while supporting continued discussion with all stakeholders. Read the other articles in this month’s issue here.
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Phone: +1 414 271 2456 | Email: info@sitcancer.org
© 2016 Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer
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