“Immunotherapy has transformed the standard of care for cutaneous melanoma in the adjuvant and unresectable/metastatic settings, with new data suggesting a role for ICI therapy in the neoadjuvant setting as well,” said Anna C. Pavlick, DO, MBA, co-chair of the SITC Melanoma Immunotherapy Guideline Expert Panel. “We need prospective validation of predictive biomarkers to determine which patients stand to benefit from immunotherapy and which patients are more likely to develop serious immune-related adverse events.”
In addition to a lack of predictive biomarkers, other dilemmas regarding the treatment of melanoma with immunotherapy remain, such as the optimal treatment for patients whose disease has progressed through anti-PD-1 based immunotherapy (and BRAF/MEK inhibitors, if applicable), the best strategy for cure for patients with resected melanoma (adjuvant treatment versus treatment at time of recurrence), and the optimal treatment duration of immune checkpoint inhibitors.
“Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy results in durable responses and a likely cure for many patients with advanced cutaneous melanoma,” said Ryan J. Sullivan, MD, chair of the SITC Melanoma Immunotherapy Guideline Expert Panel. “The optimal duration of immunotherapy treatment is now one of many key survivorship issues.”
The sequencing, combination, and duration of immunotherapy used to treat melanoma is highly nuanced. The Melanoma Immunotherapy Guideline Expert Panel was formed to generate evidence- and consensus-based recommendations to help clinicians select the appropriate immunotherapeutic regimens based on careful consideration of disease and patient characteristics. The guideline also includes a discussion of intratumoral immunotherapy, response monitoring, special patient populations, treatment of rare melanoma subtypes, and patient education and quality of life.
Abridged versions of the guideline highlighting key information from the publication will be available in SITC’s CPG Mobile App, along with interactive tools and tables to support clinical decision-making.
“The SITC clinical practice guidelines offer invaluable insights into the optimal use of immunotherapy for cancer treatment, backed by a critical review of available data and the extensive expertise of SITC’s distinguished panelists,” said SITC President Leisha Emens, MD, PhD. “To facilitate accessibility for busy clinicians, the SITC CPG Mobile App presents concise cancer immunotherapy recommendations, interactive tools, and algorithms in a user-friendly format.”
In addition to the guideline, SITC is also offering free live webinars and on-demand modules hosted on the SITC website focusing on topics within this guideline and providing attendees the opportunity to ask questions of expert faculty:
- Case Studies in Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Melanoma, v3.0 – SITC CPG Webinar
Dec. 1, 2023 1–2 p.m. CST – REGISTER NOW
- Practical Management Pearls for Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Melanoma, v3.0 – SITC CPG Webinar
Dec. 7, 12–1 p.m. CST – REGISTER NOW
Click here to view past SITC Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines webinars available free and on-demand.
About SITC’s Guidelines
The SITC Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines Program is a collection of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) developed by multidisciplinary panels of experts who draw from practical experience as well as evidence in the published literature and clinical trial data to provide recommendations for clinicians on how and when to use immunotherapy to help improve outcomes for patients with cancer. SITC’s guidelines provide recommendations on topics including selection of appropriate immunotherapy treatments, toxicity management, biomarkers, and considerations for patient quality of life. SITC’s expanding catalogue of CPGs spans disease-state specific guidelines for several solid tumors, hematologic malignancies, and toxicity-specific guidelines to assist clinicians with the management of immune-related adverse events. You may access the entire series of CPGs in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC), the society’s open access, peer-reviewed online journal, or in the CPG Mobile App.
About SITC
Established in 1984, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is a nonprofit organization of medical professionals dedicated to improving 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 X, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
About JITC
The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC) is the official open access, peer-reviewed online journal of SITC. 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 X @jitcancer.
Media Contact
Thomas Martin, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, 414-271-2456, [email protected], www.sitcancer.org
SOURCE Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer
