Immunology & Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer
presented by Penn Medicine’s Pancreatic Cancer Research Center and the Abramson Cancer Center
Date & Location
Thursday, April 11, 2019
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dinner
Friday, April 12, 2019
CME/CNE Activity
7:45 am - 3:25 pm
Biomedical Research Building
421 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Who Should Attend
This activity is designed for physicians, basic and translational researchers, representatives from industry, and other healthcare professionals caring for patients with pancreatic cancer. Target medical specialties include medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, gastroenterologists, and gastrointestinal surgeons.
Overview
Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer care in the past several years, and yet many patients derive little or no benefit from the current arsenal of immune modulating agents. This disparity in treatment response is particularly stark for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), where five-year survival rates have remained below 10% for decades and durable tumor regressions from immunotherapy are rare. These experiences indicate a need for better strategies for activating the immune system against PDA.
National experts in pancreatic cancer care and cancer immunology research have been assembled to discuss the latest developments in the immunobiology and immunotherapy of the disease. Scientific discussions will focus on mechanisms that render pancreatic tumors resistant to immunotherapy drugs and the identification of novel targets. Clinical discussions will focus on current applications and best practices for patients undergoing immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer and other malignancies, including management of toxicities of therapy.
Activity format will provide significant opportunity for interaction with expert faculty and other attendees. Clinical participants will leave with up-to-date, practical information which will have immediate application for implementing better standards of patient care. Basic and translational research participants will leave with advanced knowledge regarding the current understanding of the PDA tumor microenvironment and novel insights to inform translational research efforts and the development of agents to facilitate productive anti-tumor responses.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:
- Identify the role of immunology and immunotherapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
- Identify the latest approaches to pancreatic cancer care that will lead to improved treatment options andoutcomes
- Implement appropriate strategies for managing the care of patients with immunotherapy toxicities
- Select the mechanisms that pancreatic cancers use to evade immune attack and strategies for generating an effective anti-tumor immune respons