Jefferson’s Immuno-oncology Working Group, formed in late 2017, has specialist representatives from pulmonology, dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, cardiology, nephrology, rheumatology, endocrinology, and hepatology. When a case arises the clinicians participating vary depending on the nature of the side effect in question.
At Jefferson oncologists have already put in place methods of alerting non-oncologists about the possibility of encountering irAEs in their patients.To help clinicians deal with irAEs once they are identified, oncologists at Jefferson developed and distributed algorithms for use by all of the health system’s clinicians when they were faced with immunotherapy patients experiencing adverse events.
IO Working Group group members respond to referrals promptly, resolving them the same day they are received. The group field about four to five referrals a week, totaling approximately 20 per month. For referrals that require a face-to-face patient consult, several specialists have built patient slots into their clinic hours for irAE emergencies.
At the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, the Louisiana Oncology Society received the ASCO Jeffrey C Ward Affiliate Advocacy Award for advancing critical advocacy priorities that have translated into meaningful legislative victories. The Iowa Oncology Society and Washington State Medical Oncology Society were also recognized for their advocacy efforts in 2025 at the meeting, receiving second place awards.
