President's Message
Dear Colleagues,
It’s without a doubt an exciting time to be a part of SITC! Not only is our 28th Annual Meeting and Associated Programs coming up in just over two months (don’t forget to register and book your hotel room!) but the Society has been busy with several other exciting projects and initiatives, which are highlighted in this issue of the Immune Monitor.
First however, I would like to congratulate all those involved in the creation of the “SITC Consensus Statement on Tumor Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Patients with Cutaneous Melanoma.” The hard work and dedication that was put into this project will help propel the Society forward in achieving one of our long-standing missions of making cancer immunotherapy the fourth standard of care. Please take a moment to read the information provided below and the entire consensus statement available online.
Also, SITC’s new journal, the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC), is making great headway with three new research articles published last week. I encourage all SITC members to submit their research to JITC for a chance to be recognized and highlighted in a journal of your peers. Don’t forget, article submission is free for all SITC members through 2013.
On behalf of the Society, I hope you’ll join SITC in these exciting times and become involved with some of the most innovative science, education, and collaboration in the field of cancer immunology and immunotherapy today.
Sincerely,
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Francesco Marincola, MD
SITC President
Groundbreaking Consensus Statement Provides a Road Map for Treating Melanoma Patients with Cancer Immunotherapy
The first evidence-based consensus statement on tumor immunotherapy for the treatment of patients with melanoma was released by SITC and published online by Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology.
Known as "The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Consensus Statement on Tumor Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Cutaneous Melanoma," this consensus statement is essentially a "road map" for using immunotherapy to treat patients with melanoma and provides patients and physicians alike with expert evidence-based recommendations for the use of different immunotherapies.
For more information and to read the consensus statement in full, please visit: www.sitcancer.org/about-sitc/initiatives/cancer-immunotherapy-guidelines.
August Issue of the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC) Now Available
Articles in this issue include:
- Anti-PD-1 Antibody Significantly Increases Therapeutic Efficacy of Listeria Monocytogenes (Lm)-LLO Immunotherapy- - PET Imaging to Non-Invasively Study Immune Activation Leading to Anti-tumor Responses with a 4-1BB Agonistic Antibody
- - Immune Evasion in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Current Concepts and Future Directions
For more information and to submit your manuscript to JITC, visit: www.sitcancer.org/journal.
SITC 2013 Hotel Rooms Filling up Fast!
A very limited number of hotel rooms are still available at the 
SITC 2013 meeting venue, the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD.
- Make your hotel reservation here
- Contact SITC at 414-271-2456 for students/post-doctoral fellow room rates
- Room rates are also available for three days before and three days after the meeting dates, subject to availability
- For more information, visit: www.sitcancer.org/2013/.
SITC Hot Topic Symposium Announced
Predictive Biomarkers in Checkpoint Blockade: Is PD-L1 Tumor Expression Necessary?
Each year immediately following the conclusion of the Annual Meeting, the Society hosts a 1½ hour Hot Topic Symposium to address a rapidly developing key issue in the field of cancer immunotherapy. In this final program, leaders in the field deliver dynamic presentations on cutting-edge research and participate in interactive question and answer sessions with the audience. This year, the Symposium will explore the latest scientific and clinical data on drugs and drug combinations targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint pathway.
For more information visit: www.sitcancer.org/2013/hot-topic-symposium.
Register Now for SITC's Regional Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy (ACI) Program in Cleveland
Friday, October 4, 2013 • 8:00 am - 3:00 pm • InterContinental Cleveland • Cleveland, OH
Specifically designed for the entire unit of care involved in treating cancer, this program will provide an understanding of immunology principles related to the clinical application of immunotherapy agents, as well as basic and clinical immunology research and immunotherapy of malignancy. This program will summarize central themes in research advances and approvals to:
- facilitate understanding of more sophisticated principles of tumor immunology and immunotherapy;
- promote appropriate clinical application of cancer immunotherapies, how they work, their side effects and the efficacy to improve patient outcomes.
For more information and to register, visit: www.sitcancer.org/sitc-meetings/aci2013/aci13-oh. Can't make it to Cleveland? Click here to find a regional ACI program location near you.
SITC Collaborates on International Joint Symposium at the CSCO 16th Annual Meeting
September 25-29, 2013 • Xiamen, China
For the third year in a row, SITC is partnering with the Chinese Society for Clinical Oncology (CSCO) and the Chinese American Hematologist Oncologist Network (CAHON) for a five-day conference featuring a joint cancer immunotherapy session. Speakers from SITC include Lieping Chen, MD, PhD, Yale Cancer Center; Bernard A. Fox, PhD, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute and Jon M. Wigginton, MD, MacroGenics. Topics of sessions include "Science of Immune Modulation Therapy" and "Cancer Immunotherapy 2013: Checkpoint Inhibition and Beyond."
For more information visit: www.sitcancer.org/sitc-meetings/csco-annual-meeting.
SITC Partners with KCA and Hosts Cancer Immunotherapy Session at 12th International Kidney Cancer Symposium
Saturday, October 26, 2013 • 10:05 am - 11:55 am • Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel • Chicago, IL
Directed toward medical oncologists, urologists, and scientists involved in the clinical and research aspects of renal cell carcinoma, this meeting is sponsored by the Kidney Cancer Association (KCA) and SITC to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information that will continue to frame directions for future research and treatment.
For more information visit: www.sitcancer.org/sitc-meetings/kca2013.
December 5-8, 2013 • Royal Continental Hotel • Naples, Italy
Melanoma Bridge 2013 is jointly organized by SITC, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione "G. Pascale,” Sidra Medical and Research Center, and Fondazione Melanoma Onlus and aims to achieve a broad-based participation by various groups and societies sharing a clinical or basic interest in the immunology and biology of the cancer microenvironment. The meeting will consist of the following sections:
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For more information on the meeting visit: www.sitcancer.org/sitc-meetings/melanoma-bridge-2013. For more information on the SITC Immunoscore visit: www.sitcancer.org/about-sitc/initiatives/immunoscore.
SITC Joins BDA and Others for 1st European Immunotherapy of Cancer Conference
March 12-14, 2014 • Munich, Germany
As the first European Cancer Immunotherapy meeting, the goal of this conference is to provide a forum for discussion on early clinical drug development and address the unique challenges involved. The program will focus on topics such as immunomodulatory agents, anti-cancer vaccines and monoclonal antibodies with special emphasis on translational research and biomarker development. Organized by the Biotherapy Development Association (BDA), partners include SITC, Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen (CCCLMU), Roman-Herzog-Krebszentrum Comprehensive Cancer Center (RHCCC) and Munich Tumor Center (TZM).
For more information, visit: www.sitcancer.org/sitc-meetings/itoc2014.
SITC members can make their voices heard by casting their vote for three (3) At-Large Director positions on the SITC Board of Directors. Voting begins September 9th and runs through September 20th. Only "Regular" members who are current in membership dues are eligible to vote. To renew your SITC membership visit: www.sitcancer.org/membership. Also, please watch for further communication from SITC to come on how to cast your vote.
The Warren Alpert Foundation Prize - Call for Nominations
The Warren Alpert Foundation Prize recognizes one or more scientists whose scientific achievements have led to the prevention, cure or treatment of human diseases or disorders, and/or whose research constitutes a seminal scientific finding that holds great promise of ultimately changing our understanding of and/or ability to treat disease. The $250,000 Prize is open to scientists, physicians, and researchers from any country. The nominations deadline is November 1, 2013. To place a nomination, visit: www.warrenalpert.org.
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