Tumor Immunology 101: A Navigation Guide for the New Field of Immuno-Oncology

An Affiliate Program of the SITC ACI™ Series, held prior to the 2014 ASCO Annual Meeting

Friday, May 30, 2014
Prairie Room
Hyatt Conference Center
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place
2233 S. Martin L. King Drive
Chicago, IL 60616

Presentations from this program are available through the program schedule tab.

Organizers

Mary L. Disis, MD, FACP - University of Washington
Howard L. Kaufman, MD, FACS - Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Program Planning Committee

Asim Amin, MD, PhD – Levine Cancer Institute Carolinas Medical Center
Joseph W. Fay, MD – Baylor University Medical Center
Keith L. Knutson, PhD – Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida
John D. Powderly II, MD, CPI – Carolina BioOncology Institute, PLLC
Brian I. Rini, MD – Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center
Alexander Spira, MD, PhD – Virginia Cancer Specialists

Program Purpose

Specifically designed for clinical oncologists and the entire unit of care involved in treating cancer patients with immunotherapy, this program provided an understanding of basic immunology principles underlying the clinical application of immunotherapy, provided insights into the indications and clinical management of patients receiving tumor immunotherapy, and discussed concepts in the tumor immunotherapy field.

Presented by leading authorities in tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy, this program reviewed the basics of the immune system and its relationship to cancer, summarized central themes in tumor immunotherapy, and described how the immune system is influenced by standard cancer treatments. It also addressed how immunotherapy can be combined with other immunotherapy agents and with chemotherapy or radiation therapy to improve therapeutic responses.

Attendees also took advantage of the opportunity for professional networking that promotes collaboration and scientific exchange with experts, clinical oncologists and other health care providers.

Intended Audience

The target audience for this program included clinical oncologists, those involved in patient care, early career individuals, allied health professionals, and patient advocates who wish to learn increasingly sophisticated principles of tumor immunology and immunotherapy, as well as improve their ability to select patients for immunotherapy and provide state-of-the-art clinical management for their patients.

 Session Topics

• B-Cells: How do they Work and How Can We Use Them to Combat Cancer?
• The Basics of the Immune System: Our Friends and Foes
• Combination Immunotherapy: Can 1 + 1 Equal 4?
• Is There a Role for Combining Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy?
• Is There a Role for Combining Radiation Therapy and Immunotherapy?
• T-Cells: How do they Work and How Can We Use Them to Combat Cancer?
• What is Innate Immunity and How Does It Work to Combat Cancer?

Program Goals

• Provided a framework of basic immunology/immunotherapy for clinical oncologists and other health care providers by facilitating the translation of cancer immunotherapy research into medical practice
• Provided common terminology and a knowledge base for clinical oncologists and other health care providers
• Provided an opportunity for dialogue and professional interactions that promote collaboration and scientific exchange

Educational Objectives

Upon completion of this program, the participants should be able to:

• Interpret the key principles of tumor immunology and immunotherapy
• Implement cancer immunotherapy treatments into clinical practice more effectively through a sound understanding of how they work
• Understand and interpret emerging data in the field of immuno-oncology and tumor immunotherapy in preparation for clinical application
• Participate in scientific exchange with colleagues and subject matter experts on tumor immunology and clinical application of cancer immunotherapy

SITC also exhibited in the ASCO exhibit hall at booth #2047.

Not an official event of the 2014 ASCO Annual Meeting. Not sponsored or endorsed by ASCO or the Conquer Cancer Foundation.

Jointly provided by Clinical Immunology Society (CIS) and Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC)

The Advances of Cancer Immunotherapy^TM series is supported in part by educational grants from:

• Bristol-Myers Squibb
• Merck
• Prometheus

To view all of SITC’s supporters, please, click here.