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SITC/SSO

CME

Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Surgical Oncology: Evidence, Experience, and Future Directions

Thursday, March 5, 2026
8:55 AM - 9:55 AM MST
Location:105A-C
CE: 1

    Moderator(s)

  • Ajay Maker, MD, FACS

    Professor of Surgery and Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology
    University of California San Francisco
    San Francisco, California, United States

  • Stephanie Downs-Canner, MD

    Breast Service, Department of Surgery
    Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
    New York, New York, United States

This joint session between the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) and the Surgical Committee of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) will provide an up-to-date overview of immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting. Expert faculty will review the biological rationale, key clinical trial data, and translational insights that are shaping surgical decision-making. The discussion will highlight what is currently known, how these approaches are being integrated into practice across disease sites, and the challenges and opportunities for surgical oncologists in multidisciplinary care.

Learning Objectives:

  • Apply strategies for assessing treatment response.
  • Identify practical considerations for patient selection, treatment sequencing, and surgical planning after neoadjuvant immunotherapy.
  • Describe the current evidence base and biologic rationale for using immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting across relevant cancer types.

Presentations:

  • 8:58 AM - 9:08 AM MST
    Why we use Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy

    Faculty: Sonia Cohen, MD, PhD (she/her/hers) – Massachusetts General Hospital

  • 9:08 AM - 9:18 AM MST
    Where do we stand? Results from Immunotherapy Approaches to GI Malignancies

    Faculty: John E. Mullinax, MD – Moffitt Cancer Center

  • 9:18 AM - 9:28 AM MST
    Assessment of Treatment Effects to Inform Patient Management

    Faculty: Georgia M. Beasley, MD, MHSc, FACS (she/her/hers) – Duke University

  • 9:28 AM - 9:38 AM MST
    Designing Neoadjuvant IO Trials

    Faculty: Michael C. Lowe, MD, MA – Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University

  • 9:38 AM - 9:53 AM MST
    Q&A