AACR-SITC Congressional Briefing

Progress in Immuno-oncology: Delivering Hope and Clinical Benefit to Cancer Patients

Date: July 19, 2017.

Watch the briefing

One of the most promising areas of cancer research is the field of immuno-oncology. Scientists are discovering new ways to arm a patient’s immune system so that it can attack cancer cells, and the result has been one of the most transformative approaches to cancer treatment that has ever entered the clinic. For many patients, cancer immunotherapies are already providing lifesaving results where other treatments had failed or were not viable. But realizing more breakthroughs in this area and broadening the scope of cancers that can be treated with immuno-oncology requires a sustained, federal investment in cancer research through the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.

The American Association for Cancer Research and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer were pleased to host this briefing that highlighted some of the exciting innovations that are being delivered through immuno-oncology, illustrated the hope that these advances are bringing to cancer patients, and noted the challenges that still need to be overcome so that even more cancer patients can benefit from these revolutionary treatments.

Confirmed Speakers:

Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD

AACR President-elect 2017-2018; Deputy Director, The Sidney Kimmel
Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore

Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD

President, SITC; Professor of Medicine, Surgery and Immunology; and Director,
UPCI Immunologic Monitoring and Cellular Products Laboratory, University of
Pittsburgh.

Steven A. Rosenberg, MD, PhD

Chief of Surgery, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland

Bernard A. Fox, PhD

Past-president, SITC; Chief, Laboratory of Molecular and Tumor Immunology,
Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute,
Providence Cancer Center

Daniel S. Chen, MD, PhD

Vice president, global head of cancer immunotherapy development, Genentech

Stefanie Joho

Colon cancer survivor and patient advocate