President's Message

Dear Colleagues,

Can you feel the excitement in the air? SITC 2012 is a little over a month away!
I encourage you to register today and join basic researchers, clinicians, students, post-doctoral fellows, and allied health professionals from around the world for a week of networking, collaboration and scientific exchange on some most of the important issues in our field today. Share in cutting-edge scientific advances in the field of tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy, ultimately towards the end of improved cancer patient outcomes.

This year SITC 2012 will offer the latest, most relevant research and education on cancer immunology and immunotherapy in a variety of formats. For information on the sessions offered, including session descriptions, faculty lists, schedules and registration, please visit the SITC 2012 meeting website at http://www.sitcancer.org/2012.

Registration and housing deadlines for SITC 2012 are fast approaching! Mark October 18 on your calendars! If you register online for SITC 2012 by October 18, you can save substantially over the onsite registration rate. SITC has also reserved a block of hotel rooms at the meeting venue, the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel in North Bethesda, MD. Housing reservations can be made online up until October 18 however, space is limited and the SITC room block is filling up fast, so book today! Please visit the SITC 2012 meeting website at http://www.sitcancer.org/2012 for complete registration and hotel information.

On behalf of the Society, I hope you’ll make plans to join us for SITC 2012. We’re looking forward to an exciting time for the most innovative science, education, and collaboration in our field, and I hope you’ll be a part of it.

Sincerely,

Thomas F. Gajewski, MD, PhD
SITC President

SITC in Action

Become a SITC Champion Today

Join SITC in our efforts to spread the word about cancer immunotherapy! The SITC Membership Committee recently implemented the SITC Champion initiative to open a two-way communication line between the Society and institutions throughout the country. The goal of this initiative is to help address the need in the community for education on immunotherapy and to disseminate information to institutions and companies across the globe to build awareness of SITC’s educational programming and initiatives. The SITC Champion’s mission is to recruit new members, stimulate abstract submission and drive educational programming registrants. If you’re interested in learning more about this dynamic initiative, or if you would like to become a SITC Champion at your institution or company, please contact the SITC office at info@sitcancer.org.

CSCO-CAHON-SITC Joint Symposium on Cancer Immunotherapy

For the second year in a row, SITC will partner with the largest clinical oncology professional organization in China, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO), and the Chinese American Hematologist Oncologist Network (CAHON), for a joint cancer immunotherapy symposium set to take place on September 20, 2012 in Beijing, China. This symposium is part of the 15th Chinese National Clinical Oncology Conference & CSCO 2012 Annual Meeting, which will take place September 19-23, 2012. This meeting will cover topics such as cell therapy regulations in the United States and Europe, exciting new immunotherapies with clinical impact and immunoscore as a predictive biomarker of response. The symposium will be co-chaired by Dr. Shu-Kui Qin, MD, President of CSCO, Dr. Wenru Song, MD, PhD of the Chinese American Hematologist Oncologist Network (CAHON), and Dr. Bernard Fox, PhD, Immediate Past President of SITC.

SITC Highlights

SITC 2012 Hotel Room Block

The block of hotel rooms we’ve reserved at the SITC 2012 meeting venue, the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel in Bethesda, MD, is almost full! Visit the SITC website for complete hotel reservation information. In the event that the SITC room block is full, below are a few options of nearby hotels.

Bethesda Marriott at Pooks Hill (2.62 miles from Bethesda North Marriott)
1-301-897-9400

Bethesda Marriott Suites (3 miles from Bethesda North Marriott)
1-301-897-5600

SITC 2012 Registration Deadlines Approaching

The SITC 2012 regular registration deadline is fast approaching! Register by October 18 and save $50 over the onsite registration rate. Don’t miss the chance to attend this premier meeting that showcases highly significant timely findings, ground breaking data and high-impact results. Take advantage of the lower rates while there’s still time and register today! For more information, please go to our website. 

SITC 27th Annual Meeting Abstract Submission: One for the Record Books

We are pleased to announce that the SITC 27th Annual Meeting set a new abstract submission record with total of 239 scientific abstracts submitted for presentation. This surpasses the previous record of 234 total abstracts submitted for presentation at the SITC 24th Annual Meeting in 2009. This increase in abstract submission highlights the exciting evolution that is taking place within SITC and in the field of cancer immunology and immunotherapy and it serves as a catalyst to move our field forward! SITC would like to thank all those investigators who contributed to this important science by submitting an abstract.

SITC Early Career Scientists Professional Development Session

SITC 2012 features more offerings then ever before for early career professionals and students including the Early Career Scientists Professional Development Session. Come and explore the exciting possibilities a career in cancer immunotherapy has to offer at this new Associated Program from 1:30-5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 24. This event will educate young investigators about relevant career development topics that lead to success in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Registration for this event is only $40 if you register by October 18!

Purchase Your Friend of the Society Ribbon Today!

Show your support for the field of cancer immunotherapy by purchasing a “Friend of the Society” ribbon to wear on your name badge at SITC 2012. All proceeds will benefit the Forward Fund, an initiative dedicated to providing grants to the brightest young minds in the field for support in their research, training and education. Ribbons may be acquired for a minimum donation of $50 and can be purchased personally or for distribution to other recipients. In addition to wearing ribbons, all donors will be recognized at SITC 2012 and on the Society’s website.

Hear From the SITC 27th Annual Meeting Organizers

SITC Annual Meeting organizer David Stroncek, MD of the National Institutes of Health talks about the highlights of the SITC 27th Annual Meeting in this YouTube video. In addition to Dr. Stroncek, the SITC 27th Annual Meeting was organized by Antoni Ribas, MD, of the UCLA Medical Center and Cornelis J.M. Melief, MD, PhD of the Leiden University Medical Center.

Community Update

SITC would like to welcome the following new members for the month of August:

• Dominick L. Auci, PhD, MBA
• Lewis J. Cohen, MD
• Jacqueline F. Doody, PhD
• Sonia Elhadad, PhD
• Lawrence Fong, MD
• Olivier Gasser, PhD
• Stacie M. Goldberg, MD
• Cara Haymaker, PhD
• Traci L. Hilton, PhD
• Christopher S. Hourigan, MD, PhD
• Tyler Hulett
• Dev Karan, PhD
• Brenna Kelley-Clarke, PhD
• Su Young Kim, MD, PhD
• Marcin Kortylewski, PhD
• Karen S. Langfeld, PhD
• Joseph F. Murphy, PhD
• Geok Choo Sim, PhD
• Shawna Shirley, PhD
• Daniel E. Speiser, MD
• Charles Andrew Stewart, PhD
• Giorgio Trinchieri, MD
• Claire Vanpouille-Box, PhD
• Jimmy Vo
• Derek A. Wainwright, PhD
• Mary K. Wloch, PhD

Events Calendar

Find the latest meeting announcements and important dates to remember for September & October here:

• September – National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, National Ovarian Cancer Month, Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month, Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month
• September 14 – International Lymphoma Day
• September 24 – SITC 2012 Hotel Reservation Deadline
• October – National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Liver Cancer Awareness Month
• October 18 – SITC 2012 Regular Registration Rate Deadline
• October 21 – National Mammography Day
• October 24 – Early Career Scientists Professional Development Session
• October 24-25 – SITC Workshop – Focus on the Target: The Tumor Microenvironment
• October 25 – SITC Primer on Tumor Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy™
• October 26-28 – SITC 27th Annual Meeting
• October 28 – SITC Hot Topic Symposium: PD-1/PD-L1: Right on Target

    

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