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Rockville, Md. — The Institute for Clinical Immuno-Oncology (ICLIO) has launched two unique initiatives that support community cancer programs in implementing and advancing access to new and emerging immunotherapies for cancer. Through these initiatives, ICLIO faculty engage multidisciplinary care teams in robust discussions on the real-world challenges and complexities of delivering immunotherapy to patients in the community setting. ICLIO is an institute of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC).
“With the mounting number of approvals and new indications for immuno-oncology, there comes an increased need for education and communication among all members of the care delivery team. Through tailored, intimate learning opportunities, these ICLIO initiatives are meeting a critical need for clinicians working in the community on the frontlines of cancer care delivery,” said ICLIO Advisory Committee Chair Lee S. Schwartzberg, MD, FACP. It is estimated that 85% of the nation’s cancer patients receive care in the community setting.
ICLIO Visiting Experts
The ICLIO Visiting Experts program brings a multidisciplinary team of oncology professionals experienced in the delivery of immunotherapy for cancer into ACCC member cancer programs for a one-day workshop. The workshops delve into clinical, operational, and programmatic issues specific to these innovative new therapies. The curriculum centers on evolving challenges in this field, including patient selection, management of immune-related side effects, support for patients and caregivers, and effective approaches for educating clinical colleagues in allied specialties on the unique intricacies of immunotherapy for cancer.
A key takeaway for workshop participants: The critical need for ongoing, consistent communication among all providers.
“It was encouraging to see overlap in the workshop with what we see in our clinic,” commented ICLIO Visiting Experts workshop participant Kelsey Finch, PharmD, oncology pharmacist, Columbus Regional Health. “Our cancer center has a very interdisciplinary practice and patients tell different parts of their story to different clinicians, particularly about the side effects they are experiencing, so clinicians need to be able to communicate with each other to get the full story.”
“Programs like those put together by ACCC’s ICLIO are good because they represent everyone’s perspective, not just the oncologist. [Presenting] there were a medical oncologist, a pharmacist, an administrator, as well as a nurse—all of whom have extensive immuno-oncology experience and each with unique ways that their particular institutions have dealt with some of the challenges of delivering these therapies,” said workshop participant Magi Khalil, MD, PhD, Physician Practice Director for Medical Oncology, Riverside Health System.
Case Studies in Immuno-Oncology
Launching in summer 2017, Case Studies in Immuno-Oncology will bring an ICLIO expert to ACCC Cancer Program Members for a 60-minute, case-based tumor board discussion on immunotherapy treatment decision-making and the management of associated immune-related adverse events. All ACCC member programs are invited to apply for this opportunity.
Both the ICLIO Visiting Experts and the Case Studies in Immuno-Oncology initiatives are exceptional opportunities for in-depth bi-directional learning, allowing the ICLIO expert presenters to learn from the experiences of the local multidisciplinary teams successfully providing immunotherapy in the community while discussing difficult, real-world cases and sharing their own best practices and care delivery experiences.
“As an ICLIO Visiting Expert, I learned a lot myself about other aspects of immunotherapy delivery such as pharmacy storage and how to minimize wastage. We can all stand to learn new things in relation to immuno-oncology therapy, whether we are coming from academia or the community,” said Jarushka Naidoo, MBBCh, Assistant Professor of Oncology and attending physician at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University.
As new approvals and indications for immunotherapies continue to transform approaches to patient treatment in community oncology, cancer programs have an ongoing need to equip themselves with the most up-to-date knowledge and skills to recognize, triage, and manage immune-related adverse events and prepare for leadership roles in educating their colleagues about the benefits and risks of immunotherapy for cancer treatment. Through these initiatives, ICLIO brings needed education and expertise into the community where most of the nation’s cancer care is delivered.
About the Institute for Clinical Immuno-Oncology
The Institute for Clinical Immuno-Oncology (ICLIO), an institute of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), is the only comprehensive initiative to prepare all members of the multidisciplinary cancer care team for the complex implementation of immuno-oncology in the community setting. Learn more and explore ICLIO resources at accc-iclio.org.
ICLIO is made possible by a charitable donation from Bristol-Myers Squibb and supported by an education grant from Merck & Co., Inc.