ASCO University Announces New Immuno-Oncology Program

ASCO University has created a new multidisciplinary immunology program that provides a broad overview of immunobiology, as well as an in-depth focus on topics relevant to the practicing clinician, such as treatment, efficacy, monitoring, and management of immunobiologic agents.

ASCO University’s Immuno-Oncology Program was developed by expert physicians and advanced practice providers whose careers focus on developing immunotherapies, treating patients with these new agents, and managing associated toxicities. The new program provides the most current information on the exciting and fast-developing field of immuno-oncology, said Alexander E. Drilon, MD, an Associate Editor on the ASCO University Editorial Board.

“The development of immune checkpoint inhibitors marked a major advance in the field of cancer therapeutics,” Dr. Drilon said. “These agents are clearly active in histologies such as melanoma and lung cancer and are now [U.S. Food and Drug Administration]-approved for the treatment of advanced disease. As patterns of response and the profile of adverse events of these treatments can differ substantially from chemotherapy and targeted therapy, clinicians, advanced practice providers, and providers in training will benefit from an educational course highlighting important issues in this space.”

The program is made up of six sections focusing on key educational elements deemed most important by experts from the program’s planning group:

• Cancer immunobiology
• Classes of agents
• Potential predictive biomarkers
• Clinical activity
• Response determination
• Management of immune-related adverse events

The online learning program includes audio commentary with hyperlinks to key articles and resources. It also provides a post-test that features answer rationales and additional references, allowing participants to delve deeper into topics that they would like to learn more about.

After successful completion of the post-test, participants are eligible to claim both Continuing Medical Education credit and Maintenance of Certification Medical Knowledge points from the American Board of Internal Medicine.

To learn more, visit university.asco.org/immuno-oncology-program. ■