Lisbon, Portugal

Immunotherapy

The importance of the interactions of the host immune system in the tumour microenvironment with cancer cells and the ability of a new generation of therapeutics to manipulate these interactions and enhance anti-tumour immune response has led to the breakthrough immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors in recent years. However only the minority of cancers have clinically meaningful responses and even amongst cancers that initially respond to immunotherapy, most eventually develop resistance and progress. Immune therapies should therefore be considered in multimodal tumor therapy concepts, including radiotherapy (RT). The latter plays an important role in cancer treatment and the importance of the immunomodulatory effects of RT is increasingly recognized along with the opportunity to potentially overcome tumour resistance to immunotherapy and enhance anti-tumour responses through a variety of mechanisms. In this course, we aim to describe the immune landscape of cancer and the evidence for the evolving role and synergistic mechanisms of combining immunotherapy with radiotherapy, including the optimal dose, fractionation, volume, and timing of radiation for effective immune stimulation.

 

This course is aimed at radiation oncologists, medical physicists, scientists and medical oncologists.

Course Director

  • Eric Deutsch, Radiation Oncologist, Institut de cancérologie Gustave Roussy, Villejuif (FR)
  • Udo Gaipl, Scientist, Translational Radiobiology of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Universitätsklinkium Erlangen, Erlangen (DE)

Teachers

  • Fernanda Herrera, CHUV, Lausanne, CH
  • Jamie Honeychurch, The University of Manchester, UK
  • Claire Vanpouille-Box, WCM, NY
  • Michele Mondini, GRCC, Villejuif, FR
  • Rianne Vaes, Maastricht University Medical Center, NL
  • Gosse Adema, Radboud Institute, NL
  • Udo Gaipl, Erlangen, DE
  • Eric Deutsch, Villejuif, FR

Local Organiser

  • TBC

The course aims to:

  • Provide a general introduction to tumour immunology
  • Provide an outline of the interplay between radiotherapy and immune system
  • Understand emerging mechanisms of response and resistance to RT and immune checkpoint inhibitors
  • Outline novel therapeutic approaches to overcoming therapeutic resistance – moving beyond immune checkpoint inhibitors
  • To discuss progress and uncertainties of the immunoregulatory effects of radiotherapy planning including volume, dose, and fractionation and timing

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course participants should be able to:

  • ·An introduction to tumour immunology
  • ·An introduction to the complexities of the immunomodulatory properties of radiotherapy
  • ·To gain an understanding of the current clinical landscape of progress and challenges with radiotherapy and Immuno-Oncology agents’ combinations
  • ·To understand therapeutic opportunities in combining RT and immune oncology

 

Prerequisites

Before commencing this course, participants should:

  • Have a basic understanding of radiobiology and radiation physics
  • Know the basics of radiotherapy and radiotherapy planning
  • Have a general understanding about the evaluation of medical evidence

 

Course Content

This is a 2.5-day course organised to identify the influence of image guidance at important steps in the workflow of radiation therapy. The following items will be covered in view of in-room imaging for therapy guidance:

  • Image guidance required for treatment prescription
  • Image guidance in treatment preparation and treatment planning
  • Image guidance in patient set-up and target localisation during treatment
  • Strategies and software tools for adaptive radiotherapy
  • Image guidance in treatment follow-up
  • MR-guided radiotherapy.

Teaching Methods

 

  • ·Interactive lectures with ample time for discussions

 

Methods of Assessment

  • MCQ
  • Evaluation form.

Affiliations

TBC

Accreditation

Application for CME recognition will be submitted to the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME), an institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). EACCME credits are recognized by the American Medical Association towards the Physician’s Recognition Award (PRA). Information on the status of the applications can be obtained from the ESTRO office.

 

RAMADA BY WYNDHAM LISBON – DHML LISBOA, S.A.

AVENIDA ENGENHEIRO ARANTES E OLIVEIRA, 9

1900-221, LISBOA, PORTUGAL

Membership

ESTRO members can order products at substantially reduced prices. To benefit from the member registration rate, you must subscribe for the ESTRO membership 2024 BEFORE registering to the course. To become an ESTRO member, benefit from the member registration rate and discover the many other member advantages, please visit the membership page.

Fees

 

Early rate

Late rate

Non-Members

  750 EUR

 850 EUR

ESTRO Members

  575 EUR 

 725 EUR

In-training members*

  425 EUR

 575 EUR

* Members with specialty RadiationTherapist (RTT) may register at the In-Training fee

Early rates are applied up to three months before the starting date of the course.

Late rates are applied three months before the starting date of the course.

The fee includes the course material, coffees, lunches, and the social event.

Advance registration & payment are required.

Access to homework and/or course material will become available upon receipt of full payment.

Insurance and cancellation

Participants are strongly advised to take out their own personal insurance policy. ESTRO does not accept liability for individual medical, travel or personal accidents or incidents. Participants are strongly advised to take insurance policies to cover flight and accommodation cancellation penalties. ESTRO will not refund any travel or accommodation expenses.

For any cancellation made by the course or workshop participant, ESTRO School Events Cancellation Policy will be followed and all stated penalty fees will be applied. 

Reduced fees

Members from emerging countries may register at a preferential rate of 350 Euro. Emerging country fee applies to individuals from low-income and lower-middle-income economies according to the World Bank listing here.

Additionally, for this teaching course, all specialties from the following countries can benefit from this preferential rate: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine.  In addition, medical physicists from Cyprus can email education@estro.org to apply for this fee.

The preferential rate of 350 Euro is granted automatically when you click on the  BOOK NOW  button and theconditions below are met:

  1. Only ESTRO members for 2024 are eligible (please make sure your 2024 membership is in order before you click on the BOOK NOW button)
  2. The application is submitted 3 months before the course start date.
  3. Only one course per person per year can be subsidized by ESTRO
  4. Sponsored candidates are not entitled to reduced fees (the invoicing address has to be the one of the participant)  
  5. There are limited spaces available for each course in the price category. Places are granted on “first come first serve” basis.

A draft programme is available here.