Community Practice Connections™: 5th Annual International Congress on Immunotherapies in Cancer™: Focus on Practice-Changing Application

Release Date: February 26, 2021
Expiration Date: February 26, 2022

Activity Overview

The diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment of cancer have become increasingly personalized based on the development of novel testing technologies and targeted agents. Novel immunotherapy agents used alone or in combination with other agents may further optimize outcomes for patients with advanced tumors. Clinicians require a practical working knowledge of biomarkers, immune pathways, and the mechanisms of action of immunotherapeutic strategies to effectively tailor optimal treatment for their patients.

This Community Practice Connection™ program reviews some of the key highlights from the 5th Annual International Congress on Immunotherapies in Cancer^®: Focus on Practice-Changing Application, held in December 2020. This unique and engaging multi-media activity is ideal for the community-based clinician and focuses on the practical aspects managing patients with advanced cancer, putting recent clinical trial data into clinical context. The program is designed to inform those who did not attend the live meeting and to help reinforce learnings for those who did.

Acknowledgement of Commercial Support

This activity is supported by educational grants from Amgen, Inc., AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Pfizer, Inc.

Target Audience

This educational activity is directed toward medical oncologists, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who treat patients with cancer. Participants are primarily those whose practice requires mastery and a critical understanding of the fundamental principles, pivotal published studies, and emerging information on immunotherapies and their evolving roles in the treatment of patients with cancer. Nurses, physician assistants, fellows, investigators, and other health care professionals interested in the treatment of cancer are invited to participate.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this activity, you should be better prepared to:

• Outline clinical trial evidence on immunotherapy and the unmet clinical needs that these trials are designed to address
• Apply key trial data to the management of solid and hematologic malignancies in multiple lines of care
• Implement practical strategies to monitor for and manage treatment-related toxicities among patients who receive single agent and combination immunotherapeutic approaches to manage their cancer

Faculty, Staff, and Planners’ Disclosures

In accordance with ACCME guidelines, PER^® has identified and resolved all conflicts of interest for faculty, staff, and planners prior to the start of this activity by using a multistep process.

Faculty

Arjun V. Balar, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Director, Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program
Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health
New York, NY

Disclosures: Grant Research Support: Genentech, Merck, AstraZeneca/Medimmune, Nektar, Seattle Genetics, Immunomedics; Consultant: Genentech, Incyte, Janssen, Merck, Pfizer, AstraZeneca/Medimmune, Nektar, Seattle Genetics, Immunomedics; Speakers Bureau: Genentech, Merck, AstraZeneca/ Medimmune; Shareholder: EpiVax Oncology; Other: Merck (steering/ scientific advisory committee), Nektar (steering/ scientific advisory committee),EpiVax Oncology (scientific advisory board member).

Joshua Brody, MD
Director, Lymphoma Immunotherapy Program
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Hess Center for Science and Medicine
New York, NY

Disclosures: Grant Research Support: Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Acerta, Celldex Therapeutics, Genentech.

Yelena Y. Janjigian, MD
Associate Attending Physician
Associate Professor, WCMC
Chief, Gastrointestinal Oncology Service
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, NY

Disclosures: Grant Research Support: Boehringer Ingelheim, Bayer, Genentech/Roche, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Merck & Co; Consultant: Merck Serono, Merck & Co, Merck Sharpe & Dohme Corp, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Bayer, Imugene, Daiichi Sankyo, AstraZeneca, Seagen, Zymeworks Inc, Paradigm Medical Communications, Jounce Therapeutics, ONO Pharmaceutical; Shareholder: Rgenix (stock options).

Naiyer Rizvi, MD
Professor of Medicine
Director, Thoracic Oncology
Co-Director, Cancer Immunotherapy Programs
Price Chair, Clinical Translational Research
Columbia University
Irving Medical Center
New York, NY

Disclosures: Consultant: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Eli Lilly, Janssen, GlaxoSmithKline, EMD Serono; Shareholder: Gritstone, Oncology, Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics.

Mario Sznol, MD
Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology)
Yale School of Medicine
Program Leader, Melanoma
Co-Leader, Cancer Immunology Program
Yale Cancer Center
New Haven, CT

Disclosures: Consultant: Idera, Regeneron, Apexigen, Alligator Bioscience, Verastem Oncology, Agenus, Rubius Therapeutics, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech/Roche, Boston Pharmaceuticals, Servier, Adaptimmune, Immunocore, Dragonfly, Pierre Fabre, Molecular Partners, Boehringer Ingelheim, Innate Pharma, Nektar, Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Numab, AbbVie, Zelluna Immunotherapy, Seagen, Genocea, GI Innovation, Chugai-Roche, BioNTech, Eli Lilly, Modulate Therapeutics, Array BioPharma, AstraZeneca, Genmab; Shareholder: EvolveImmune Therapeutics, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, NextCure, Repertoire, Adaptive Biotechnologies, Actym Therapeutics, Amphivena Therapeutics.

The staff of Physicians’ Education Resource^®, LLC (PER^®), have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

Off-Label Disclosure and Disclaimer

This activity may or may not discuss investigational, unapproved, or off-label use of drugs. Learners are advised to consult prescribing information for any products discussed. The information provided in this accredited activity is for continuing education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent clinical judgment of a healthcare professional relative to diagnostic, treatment, or management options for a specific patient’s medical condition. The opinions expressed in the content are solely those of the individual faculty members and do not reflect those of PER^® or any company that provided commercial support for this activity.