Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Publishes Clinical Practice Guideline on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-related Adverse Events

MILWAUKEE, July 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), the world's leading member-driven organization dedicated to improving cancer patient outcomes by advancing the science and application of cancer immunotherapy, is pleased to announce the publication of a clinical practice guideline focusing on management of the toxicities called immune-related adverse events that can affect cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

The "Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) clinical practice guideline on immune checkpoint inhibitor-related adverse events" published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC), was developed by an expert panel of leaders in immunotherapy as well as diverse subspecialties to provide recommendations on best practices for managing clinically relevant irAEs that arise during treatment with ICIs, including the common gastrointestinal, and dermatologic toxicities in addition to the more mare yet potentially serious neurologic and cardiac events, among other key considerations for oncologists treating their patients with these agents.

"Checkpoint inhibitors have transformed cancer care, yet these unique therapies can cause toxicities that are quite different than what is seen with traditional anti-cancer treatments and our understanding of irAEs is con," said Julie R. Brahmer, co-chair of the SITC Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-related Adverse Events Expert Panel. "The Expert Panel considered the latest evidence available in the literature as well as their own vast wealth of experience in treating irAEs to develop this guideline, which will provide clinicians with the most current thinking on toxicity management, in order to safely use checkpoint inhibitors and provide the best-possible outcomes for patients."

ICIs are treatments that unleash the immune system against cancer, but the same mechanisms that underpin their effective anti-tumor properties may cause unique toxicities, specifically immune-related adverse events (irAEs). As ICIs increasingly become integrated into treatment plans for an ever-increasing number of disease settings, there is a need for clear, expert guidance on the recognition and management of irAEs.

"I am pleased to share in the excitement of SITC's long-awaited clinical practice guideline on immune checkpoint inhibitor-related adverse events." said SITC President Patrick Hwu, MD. "The eleventh manuscript published in SITC's Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines series, this guideline is critically important to oncologists in the management of these unexpected adverse events, and ensures the best possible outcomes for cancer patients receiving FDA-approved immunotherapies."

The SITC Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines are a collection of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) developed by leading experts to help hematologists and oncologists determine when and how to best use immunotherapy to treat their patients. The published disease-state specific guidelines provide evidence- and expert consensus-based recommendations on topics including selection of appropriate immunotherapy treatments, toxicity management, biomarkers, and considerations for patient quality of life. SITC has published CPGs for acute leukemia, bladder carcinoma, cutaneous melanoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, immune checkpoint inhibitor-related adverse events, immune effector cell-related adverse events, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, non-small cell lung cancer, prostate cancer and renal cell carcinoma. Additional guidelines in development include those covering breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, nonmelanoma skin cancer, as well as updates for the urothelial (bladder carcinoma) and lung cancer disease settings.

In addition to the published manuscript, SITC is also offering a number of different opportunities to help clinicians understand and implement the guidelines into their practice.  One such resource are the live webinars and on-demand modules hosted on the SITC website. SITC will host live, free webinars during which attendees will be able to learn more about the recommendations included in this clinical practice guideline and ask questions of expert faculty, thus deepening their understanding of the concepts in the manuscript so they may feel comfortable safely administering cell therapies.

SITC is a proponent for collaboration and harmonization of efforts between like-minded organizations whenever possible. SITC thanks the American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) and all participating organizations for providing representatives to serve on SITC's Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Related Adverse Events Expert Panel and for their efforts in developing this clinical practice guideline.

About SITC
Established in 1984, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is a nonprofit organization of medical professionals dedicated to improving cancer patient outcomes by advancing the development, science and application of cancer immunotherapy and tumor immunology. SITC is comprised of influential basic and translational scientists, practitioners, health care professionals, government leaders and industry professionals around the globe. Through educational initiatives that foster scientific exchange and collaboration among leaders in the field, SITC aims to one day make the word "cure" a reality for cancer patients everywhere. Learn more about SITC, our educational offerings and other resources at sitcancer.org and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube

About JITC
Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC) is the official open access, peer-reviewed online journal of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer featuring an impact factor of 13.751. The journal publishes high-quality articles on all aspects of tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy, on subjects across the basic science-translational-clinical spectrum. JITC publishes original research articles, literature reviews, position papers and practice guidelines, and case reports; invited commentaries may also be commissioned by the journal editors. These articles, freely accessible at jitc.bmj.com, make JITC the leading forum for tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy research. Follow JITC on Twitter.

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SOURCE The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer