Project ECHO®: Tele-mentoring to Manage Immune-related Adverse Events in Patients Receiving Cancer Immunotherapies

Immunotherapies are rapidly advancing and yielding impressive clinical benefits in a growing number of cancers, and as new drugs are introduced and clinical indications are expanded for existing drugs in this class, immunotherapy usage in cancer care is expected to increase. However, with this growth comes new challenges for community cancer care programs, as oncologists and multidisciplinary care teams must navigate the practical challenges of immunotherapies, including the management of immune-related adverse events that can sometimes accompany these therapies.
According to the National Cancer Institute, 80% of patients with cancer are treated in community hospitals each year in the United States, which is why it is critical for community care teams to be prepared to promptly diagnose, monitor, and manage immune-related adverse events; these events may rapidly progress to severe, life-threatening, or fatal and may require discontinuing therapy and/or frequent hospitalizations.

Optimal management of immune-related adverse events often requires expertise (e.g., in rheumatology, pulmonology, cardiology, ophthalmology, and others) outside the realm of oncology, and it may be particularly challenging for community practitioners to identify and access specialists who can provide guidance on management of immune-related adverse events.

To address this growing need, the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) has launched Project ECHO®️: Tele-mentoring to Manage Immune-related Adverse Events in Patients Receiving Cancer Immunotherapies. This initiative fosters opportunities for community oncology programs to participate in tele-mentoring with a virtual team of toxicity management and assessment specialists (including rheumatologists, endocrinologists, cardiologists, dermatologists, neurologists, hematologists, pulmonologists, ophthalmologists, gastroenterologists, and infectious disease specialists) using the Project ECHO®️ model.

If you could benefit from expert advice on the optimal management of Immune-related Adverse Events (irAEs), please join ACCC and Boston University for monthly tele-mentoring sessions where you can receive guidance on clinical cases and have your questions answered by expert faculty.

Target Audience: Oncologists, oncology advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners, physician assistants), oncology pharmacists, oncology nurses, and other healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in treating patients with cancer immunotherapies.

When: Third Tuesday of every month from 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET, beginning September 20, 2022. Participants can join the virtual program at any time.

Free Registration

Registration Instructions

A Zoom link will be provided upon registration. Please click the “Add to Calendar” option after registering to add this series on your calendar. To join each session, use the Zoom link in the calendar invitation so you do not have to complete the registration form again.

Questions? Contact Mary Stanley, Program Manager.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this educational activity, participants will be able to:

• Apply evidence-based practices for the monitoring and management of irAEs in patients receiving cancer immunotherapies
• Improve coordination and communication with non-oncology specialists and with patients/caregivers to manage irAEs in patients receiving cancer immunotherapies
• Review strategies for providing equitable care for underserved patients receiving cancer immunotherapies

Steering Committee