Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Publishes Clinical Practice Guideline on Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Urothelial Cancer


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“Immunotherapy fills an important unmet need for patients with urothelial cancer who are too frail or are unwilling to endure the toxicity associated with chemotherapy,” said Matthew D. Galsky, co-chair of the SITC Urothelial Cancer Immunotherapy Guideline Expert Panel.

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), the world’s leading member-driven organization dedicated to cancer immunotherapy, has published a clinical practice guideline (CPG) to help clinicians use immunotherapy to improve their care of patients with urothelial cancer (a term that encompasses cancers of the bladder, urethra, and upper urinary tract).

Urothelial cancer represents a significant public health concern, as the sixth most common type of cancer in the United States. In the years since SITC published its first CPG on immunotherapy for the treatment of bladder carcinoma in 2017, more options have become available to patients with new approvals for immunotherapy in advanced disease settings and promising data in early stage disease as well.

“Immunotherapy fills an important unmet need for patients with urothelial cancer who are too frail or are unwilling to endure the toxicity associated with chemotherapy,” said Matthew D. Galsky, co-chair of the SITC Urothelial Cancer Immunotherapy Guideline Expert Panel. “Additionally, new approaches such as immunotherapy maintenance after the completion of standard chemotherapy can offer patients prolonged survival and improved quality of life.”

Published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC), SITC’s open access, peer-reviewed online journal, “Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) clinical practice guideline on immunotherapy for the treatment of urothelial cancer,” contains evidence- and consensus-based recommendations developed by a panel of experts to assist healthcare professionals on the important aspects of immunotherapeutic treatment for urothelial cancer, including diagnostic testing, treatment planning, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and patient quality of life (QOL) considerations.

“The treatment landscape for urothelial cancer is evolving and this new clinical practice guideline will be a valuable resource for the oncology community,” said SITC President Patrick Hwu, MD. “Our society’s Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines program produces incredibly important publications that help to ensure that cancer patients receive the best possible care from clinicians by providing the necessary information to administer immunotherapy treatments as safely and effectively as possible.”

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 in 2021 that will focus on this published manuscript and provide attendees with the opportunity to ask questions of expert faculty:

  • Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Urothelial Cancer Guideline Overview – SITC CPG Webinar


August 25, 2021, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. ET

  • Practical Management Pearls for Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Urothelial Cancer – SITC CPG Webinar


October 13, 2021, 4 – 5 p.m. ET

  • Case Studies in Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Urothelial Cancer – SITC CPG Webinar


November 5, 2021, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. ET

Click here to view past SITC Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines webinars on-demand.

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 @jitcancer.

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