MILWAUKEE (PRWEB)
October 05, 2021

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 the first clinical practice guideline (CPG) focused on immunotherapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

The new manuscript, “Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) clinical practice guideline on immunotherapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma”, was published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC), SITC’s peer-reviewed online journal, and it will be available in SITC’s mobile guidelines app.

“Immunotherapy has become the standard of care for advanced HCC” said Ignacio M. Melero, co-Chair of the SITC HCC Immunotherapy Guideline Expert Panel. “Patients with advanced HCC have more options than ever and this new guideline will be an essential resource for clinicians to navigate the landscape to develop immunotherapy treatment plans.”

In 2020, the checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy atezolizumab was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in combination with bevacizumab as a first-line treatment for HCC, representing the first new regimen to improve overall survival for patients in more than a decade. Additional immune checkpoint inhibitors are also approved in the second-line setting as well, and ongoing trials are evaluating additional immunotherapeutic strategies. To provide guidance to clinicians treating HCC on how to incorporate these new options into the evolving therapeutic landscape, SITC convened a panel of leading experts with perspectives from oncology, hepatology, surgery, interventional radiology, nursing and patient advocacy.

“HCC always develops as disease on top of a disease including both the cancer and underlying liver damage,” said Tim F. Greten, co-chair of the SITC HCC Immunotherapy Guideline Expert Panel. “Our expert panel included leading voices from hepatology and oncology to provide clinicians with the recommendations they need on both liver-specific and the immunotherapy-specific aspects of HCC treatment.”

To support clinicians in their decision-making with their patients with HCC, the Hepatocellular Carcinoma Immunotherapy Guideline Expert Panel developed evidence- and consensus-based recommendations on topics including the selection of appropriate immunotherapeutic regimens, recognition and management of immune-related adverse events, and patient quality of life considerations.

“SITC’s clinical practice guidelines are the authoritative resource for recommendations on the optimal use of immunotherapy to improve patient outcomes.” said SITC President Patrick Hwu, MD. “The society is proud to have brought together this expert panel of international leaders in HCC to develop this timely and important guideline.”

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 is free live webinars and on-demand modules hosted on the SITC website that will focus on this published manuscript and provide attendees with the opportunity to ask questions of expert faculty:

• 
  Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Guideline Overview – SITC CPG Webinar ; November 8, 2021, 10–11 a.m. ET – REGISTER NOW
• Practical Management Pearls for Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma – SITC CPG Webinar; December 6, 2021, 5:30–6:30 p.m. ET – REGISTER NOW
• Case Studies in Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma – SITC CPG Webinar; January 10, 2022, 6:30–7:30 p.m. ET– REGISTER NOW

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

About the SITC Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines

The hepatocellular carcinoma immunotherapy guideline is part of the broader SITC Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines program that has produced a collection of CPGs developed by multi-disciplinary panels of experts who draw from their own practical experience as well as evidence in the published literature and clinical trial data to develop evidence- and consensus-based recommendations on when and how to use immunotherapy to help improve outcomes for patients with cancer. SITC uses as a model, the Institute of Medicine’s 2011 “Standards for Developing Trustworthy Clinical Practice Guidelines” to ensure the recommendations are unbiased, transparent and balanced and aids oncologists in effective clinical decision-making concerning patient selection, toxicity management, response evaluation, and the sequencing or combination of therapies, among other topics.

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 journal of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer. 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, position papers and practice guidelines, and case reports; invited and pre-vetted reviews and commentaries are also considered by the journal editors. These articles make JITC the leading forum dedicated to tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy research.

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