Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has revolutionized outcomes for patients with advanced cancers.
Building upon this marked success, evaluation of ICB in patients with surgically resectable disease has
been pursued across multiple cancer types. In addition to an improvement in operability, improving
the anti-tumor immune response, as measured by pathologic response, neoadjuvant immunotherapy
continues to demonstrate correlation with improved risk or recurrence across and has resulted in changes
in standard of care. Complete pathologic response to neoadjuvant treatment has previously been
established a surrogate endpoint in some cancers, but data continue to emerge supporting evaluation of
this understanding in the context of neoadjuvant ICB and outcomes associated with pathologic response
to immunotherapy is actively being pursued across cancers. Neoadjuvant studies also offer the opportunity
for deep translational evaluation of serial tissue collection. Taken together, neoadjuvant treatment serves
as powerful drug development platform as it provides the opportunity to leverage translational insights to
gain a deeper understanding the outcomes associated with pathologic response as well as insights into
mechanisms of immunotherapy response and resistance across multiple cancer types.
Notably, the majority of these clinical advances and translational insights are evaluated within disease groups.
Many efforts continue to work towards a convergence and harmonization in pathology standardization, trial
design, and data aggregation in order to transcend traditional paradigms and leverage the innovative
potential of the neoadjuvant platform in cancer immunotherapy. As immunotherapy and checkpoint
inhibitors continue to advance for patients with advanced disease, further evaluation in the neoadjuvant
setting plays a critical role contextualizing clinical response with deep pathologic and biomarker evaluation.
There is an increasing need to expedite insights and facilitate impact for patients through the evaluation
of neoadjuvant immunotherapy across cancers.
In this scenario, the importance of early-stage breast and lung cancer is crucial, as it offers the best chance
of successful immunotherapy treatment and improved outcomes. Detecting cancer in its early stages
allows for less aggressive treatment options, higher survival rates and a better quality of life for patients.
Early detection also reduces the risk of metastasis, which can make treatment more difficult and reduce
survival rates.
With this in mind, we seek to organize a global meeting to bring together researchers engaged in
neoadjuvant immunotherapy clinical and translational research with the goal of highlighting clinical
advances, innovative research approaches, as well as possibilities for collaboration and opportunities to
harmonize approaches across cancers. With the unique advantage of immunotherapy, we have the
opportunity to advance the field forward in both improving outcomes for patients with surgically resectable
disease as well as harnessing the true potential of the neoadjuvant platform for drug development.
The meeting will take place over two days and will consist of invited speakers, and panel discussions.
Topics will range from disease specific field overviews, pathology, biomarkers, imaging and patient
reported outcomes.