CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE VIRTUAL IMMUNOTHERAPY PATIENT SUMMIT IS NOW AVAILABLE FREE, ON-DEMAND

The free event, moderated by Tamron Hall, shared the latest research by top immunotherapy experts, patient stories, and clinical trial updates

NEW YORK, Dec. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cancer Research Institute (CRI), a nonprofit organization that funds immunotherapy research to create a world immune to cancer, continues its commitment to the cancer patient and caregiver community by providing free, on-demand access to the 2022 CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit. Held November 11-12, 2022, the summit welcomed patients and caregivers from across the country to participate in a two-day event offering the most current research and treatment updates from leading immunotherapy experts.  

To watch the summit, visit cancerresearch.org/patient-summits/2022.

Moderated by Emmy award-winning TV host Tamron Hall, the summit featured informative sessions with immunotherapy experts and oncologists like Jennifer Wargo, MD, from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, who gave the keynote presentation on the basics of our immune system and how cancer immunotherapy works; Julie R. Brahmer, MD, MSc, from the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, who provided updates on immunotherapy for lung cancer, which remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide; Elizabeth Ann Mittendorf, MD, PhD, from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Cancer Center, who addressed advances in immunotherapy among breast cancer patients; Peter E. Fecci, MD, PhD, from the Duke Cancer Center at Duke University, who spoke on the importance of clinical trials and what they offer patients seeking access to cutting-edge cancer treatments; and other experts sharing research updates and answering participant questions in a series of eleven breakout sessions focused on immunotherapy for some of the most common and deadliest cancer types. In addition, patients and advocates participated in candid fireside chats regarding issues impacting Black, Latino, and other communities facing limited access to health care, fewer cancer screenings, diagnoses at later stages of cancer, fewer treatment options offered – all barriers that make it difficult for patients in these communities to receive the best care possible.

Cancer immunotherapy is now the fourth pillar of cancer treatment and is used alone or in combination with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. This new approach to treating millions of cancer patients around the world each year mobilizes the body's own immune system to seek out and eliminate cancer cells. Early diagnosis can change a patient's cancer journey and overall outcome.

CRI is leading the charge to help close the immunotherapy information gap by providing free, on-demand access to fifteen informative and empowering sessions that support patients and caregivers from the safety and comfort of their homes. Visit  cancerresearch.org/patient-summits/2022 to watch and listen to this year's 2022 CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit. For more information on CRI's on-going work to advance cancer immunotherapy research to save more lives, visit cancerresearch.org.

SPONSORS
This year's CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit is made possible thanks to the generous support of: (Gold-level) Bristol Myers Squibb; (Silver-level) Merck & Co., Inc.; (Contributor-level) AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Genmab, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sanofi; (Friend-level) CRISPR Therapeutics, Eli Lilly and Company, and Foundation Medicine, Inc. In addition, we are grateful for the support of our Host Institution partners from across the country, including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston), Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health (New York), the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (Chicago), and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston).

ABOUT THE CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE
The Cancer Research Institute (CRI), established in 1953, is a top-rated U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to saving more lives by fueling the discovery and development of powerful immunotherapies for all cancers. Guided by a world-renowned Scientific Advisory Council that includes four Nobel laureates and 27 members of the National Academy of Sciences, CRI has invested $500 million in support of research conducted by immunologists and tumor immunologists at the world's leading medical centers and universities and has contributed to many of the key scientific advances that demonstrate the potential for immunotherapy to change the face of cancer treatment. To learn more, go to cancerresearch.org.

SOURCE Cancer Research Institute