Course Description

This easy-to-use, interactive course provides patients and caregivers with many resources and basic education on cancer and immunotherapy. The course is designed to be self-directed and is based on the Understanding Cancer Immunotherapy - 5th Edition Patient Resource Guide. There are five modules offered, and learners can access one or all of the modules, depending upon their interest level for each topic: 

Module Content

Your Treatment and Providers - This module talks about how cancer treatment may proceed, including what tests a patient may undergo, what doctors may look for to determine the best treatment options, and healthcare providers that are involved in cancer care. It also provides links to SITC resources by type of cancer.

Cancer and The Immune System - This module provides education on what cancer is, why it forms, how it relates to the immune system as well as how it can evade the immune system. This is a helpful precursor to the Types of Immunotherapy module which explains how different immunotherapies work.

Types of Immunotherapies - This module has interactive animations that help describe how different types of cancer immunotherapy work to treat cancer. In addition, there is an infographic of the FDA-approved cancer immunotherapies by disease.

The Importance of Reporting Side Effects - This module discusses possible side effects of cancer immunotherapy and stresses why it is important to report side effects to care providers. It also provides links to more resources on this topic.

Empower Yourself With Patient Resources - This module has many links to a wide variety of resources, including financial assistance resources, clinical trial search engines, patient/caregiver support groups and more information and courses by disease type.

Target Audience

This activity is intended for cancer patients and their caregivers.

Educational Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant should:

• Have an improved understanding of cancer immunotherapy.
• Be able to find and access support and resources relevant to their cancer and/or situation. 

Available Beginning:  5/30/19

Approximate time to complete: 30 minutes

This online patient education activity was produced with the generous support of the following companies.

SITC Online Education Disclaimer

A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product discussed. Readers should verify all information and data before treating patients or employing any therapies described in this educational activity.