Talking to Your Oncologist about Cancer Immunotherapy

When do most patients first learn about immunotherapy? How long can you start after your initial course of treatment? How does it feel to take part in a clinical trial? How do you anticipate and manage side effects? 

In this webinar designed for patients and caregivers, Ariella Chivil, a patient advocate, and Alexander M. Lesokhin, M.D., her oncologist, discuss the nuances of communicating and informing both doctor and patient while on immunotherapy. They share their experiences with immunotherapy and answer viewer questions.

Ariella Chivil is a patient advocate and cancer survivor. Diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010, she completed 14 different treatment protocols before entering a clinical trial of the immunotherapy nivolumab (Opdivo®). Her first scans after beginning the trial showed a marked reduction in her tumors. Today, Ariella is off treatment and enjoying living and working in New York City.

Alexander M. Lesokhin, M.D., is a hematologic oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center who specializes in treating people with blood cancers such as lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Specifically, he’s focused on developing innovative ways to use the immune system to treat cancer and help these patients.

The "Cancer Immunotherapy and You" webinar series is produced by the Cancer Research Institute and is made possible with generous support from Bristol-Myers Squibb, with additional support from Regeneron, Sanofi Genzyme, and Adaptimmune.