Association of Community Cancer Centers Releases Annual Report on Current State of Immuno-Oncology

Rockville, MD — The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) today released its annual report on the assessment of the current state of the growing use of immunotherapies to treat cancer in the United States.

The report, entitled, “Immuno-Oncology in 2021: Committed to the Cutting Edge of Care,” reveals that despite the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, by mid-2020, there was a 22 percent increase in the number of actively investigated Immuno-Oncology (IO) agents from 2019. There are now more than 60 approved immunotherapy indications, with the anticipation that the pool will grow as new agents are approved and new combinations and regimens continue to expand.

“Immuno-Oncology in 2021: Committed to the Cutting Edge of Care” is available now for download on the ACCC website.

The development of immunotherapies for cancer treatment during the past decade has moved at a swift pace, transforming the treatment landscape for numerous cancers. However, barriers remain to IO implementation in community cancer programs across the U.S., including providers’ limited familiarity with emerging IO agents, the impact of financial toxicity on patient access to treatment, and a lack of interdepartmental care coordination.

“While this year’s report is different because of the impact of COVID-19 on all areas of cancer care, what we found to be encouraging about immuno-oncology is how the pandemic actually revealed strategies that will forever change care,” said Sigrun Hallmeyer, MD, Chair of the ACCC Immuno-Oncology Institute Executive Committee. “For example, the rapid utilization of telemedicine revealed the potential for effectively monitoring patients under IO treatment. An incredibly tragic pandemic did not slow down the speed of development, approval, or adoption of immunotherapy.”

Highlights of the report include:

• The results of the 2020 IO Census Survey, the fourth annual study of the current landscape of IO therapies in cancer care. Respondents shared their thoughts about current barriers to treatment (financial toxicity and poor coordination with sub-specialists ranked highest), their top priorities (collecting patient-reported outcomes and having access to IO-inclusive clinical trials ranked high), and the difficulty maintaining operations in the midst of a pandemic.
• The growing role of telemedicine and virtual irAE tumor boards during the pandemic and the potential for continued reimbursement for virtual care beyond COVID-19.
• The launch of the first IO ECHO®, a joint effort between the ACCC Immuno-Oncology Institute and Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center to use a hub-and-spoke model to share specialist expertise and build capacity in community care teams.
• The development of IO survivorship resources to help promote effective communication and coordination among cancer care team members and address the psychosocial and physical well-being of IO survivors.
• The creation of new educational resources for cancer care team members on coordinating patient care with emergency department providers, transitioning patients back to primary care, and coordinating with dermatologists to treat the side effects of IO therapy.

The report also provides a concise view of the ACCC Immuno-Oncology Institute's ever-evolving resources hub, recent accomplishments and publications, and new priorities.

The ACCC Immuno-Oncology Institute was established in 2015 to provide the multidisciplinary cancer care team with a comprehensive resource hub, providing practical peer-driven resources, insights from leading experts in the use of IO therapies, solutions to access and reimbursement barriers, and the latest updates on immuno-oncology advances.