2015 ASH Annual Meeting
Updates on Elotuzumab in Multiple Myeloma Show Persistence of Benefit
Studies presented at the 2015 ASH Annual Meeting bolstered support for elotuzumab (Empliciti) given in combination with lenalidomide (Revlimid) for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Elotuzumab is an...
Pembrolizumab Looks Promising in Multiple Myeloma
Monoclonal antibodies targeting the programmed cell death protein (PD-1) receptor look promising in multiple myeloma, according to early reports presented at the 2015 ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition...
Selected Abstracts From 2015 ASH Annual Meeting: Part 4
Here is the final installment of selected abstracts from the proceedings of the 2015 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, focusing on Hodgkin lymphoma, follicular lymph...
Selected Abstracts From 2015 ASH Annual Meeting: Part 3
Here are several more abstracts selected from the proceedings of the 2015 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, focusing on the topic of anticoagulation and the cancer pa...
CAR-T Cell Therapy May Have Role in Treating Multiple Myeloma
Among the burgeoning options for treating multiple myeloma could be an approach that is proving to be exciting in leukemia: CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T cells) therapy. Preliminary results of th...
Selected Abstracts From 2015 ASH Annual Meeting: Part 3
Here are several more abstracts selected from the proceedings of the 2015 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, focusing on newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, relapsed/ref...
Selected Abstracts From 2015 ASH Annual Meeting: Part 2
Here are several more abstracts selected from the proceedings of the 2015 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, highlighting therapeutics in acute leukemias and myelodysp...
Studies Confirm and Extend the Benefits of Ixazomib in Multiple Myeloma
Patients with multiple myeloma now have access to an all-oral regimen, with the recent approval of the oral proteasome inhibitor ixazomib (Ninlaro) in previously treated patients. New pairings for the...
Global Perspectives on the Integration of Biosimilars Into Oncology Practice
Dr. Robert Rifkin, Medical Director of Biosimilars at US Oncology Research, moderates a roundtable discussion on Global Perspectives on the Integration of Biosimilars into Oncology Practice, held in c...
Phase III Trial Shows Improved Progression-Free Survival With Ibrutinib vs Temsirolimus in Relapsed/Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma
In aphase III trial reported in The Lancet and at the recent American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, Martin Dreyling, MD, of the European Mantle Cell Lymphoma Network, and collea...
Blood Test Can Predict High-Risk Cancers in Patients Treated With CAR-T
Dramatic advances have been made in using genetically engineered chimeric antigen receptor–modified T cells (CAR-T) with anti-CD19 specificity to treat highly refractory hematologic malignancies. The ...
Study Confirms Benefit of Triplet vs Doublet in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma
Triplets should be the standard of care in most newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients, according to a study that validated a practice that has become common in the United States, though not necess...
Myeloablative Conditioning for Stem Cell Transplantation Remains Standard of Care in Patients With MDS and AML
A randomized trial from the Bone and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network was halted early after concluding that allogeneic stem cell transplantation after a reduced-intensity conditioning regime...
Self-Reports Overestimate Mercaptopurine Intake in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Mercaptopurine is critical for maintaining remission in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, a study has shown that overreporting of intake is common, and self-reports of intake are ...
New Use for CAR-T Cells Post Transplantation
The approach of using genetically engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells has received much attention for treating leukemias, where it has achieved spectacular long-lasting complete remissi...
Venetoclax May Prove to Be Strong Weapon Against Poor-Prognosis Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Venetoclax, the latest entry into the field of treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), is a powerful investigational therapy that promises to fill an important niche: treatment of high-risk r...
Severe Toxicities Seen in Younger Patients Receiving Front-Line Idelalisib for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Hematologists and patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are excited about new drugs that have dramatically improved outcomes. But all drugs have side effects, and it is important to be awar...
Idelalisib Improves Progression-Free Survival Over Bendamustine Plus Rituximab in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Idelalisib (Zydelig) combined with bendamustine (Bendeka, Treanda) plus rituximab (Rituxan) was superior to chemotherapy with bendamustine/rituximab plus placebo, reducing the risk of progressive dise...
Rituximab Adds Benefit to Chemotherapy in Adult B-Cell Precursor ALL
The addition of rituximab (Rituxan) to the pediatric-inspired chemotherapy protocol for B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) significantly improved event-free survival in a large Europe...
Could CAR-T Therapy Be Moving Into Lymphoma?
The use of T cells that are genetically engineered to express chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) has made headway as an approach to hematologic malignancies, with the best results achieved in leukemia....
Multiple Myeloma in 2015: A Year for the Record Books
Few malignancies have received as much attention, in the way of newly approved drugs, as multiple myeloma did in 2015. In November alone, 3 new agents were approved, bringing the total to 4 for the ye...
ASH Awards Inaugural Giuseppe Bigi Memorial Award in Hematopoiesis and Stem Cells to Marilena Ciciarello, PhD
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) named Marilena Ciciarello, PhD, of the University of Bologna, the inaugural recipient of the ASH Giuseppe Bigi Memorial Award for Achievement in Hematopoiesis ...
ASH Honors Baseball Hall of Famer With Outstanding Service Award
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) recognized Rod Carew, Baseball Hall of Famer and Advocate for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)/Be the Match, at the 57th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposit...
Selected Abstracts From 2015 ASH Annual Meeting
Here are several abstracts selected from the proceedings of this year’s American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, highlighting therapeutics in acute leukemias and myelodyspla...
Pediatric Regimen Achieves Higher-Than-Expected Survival in Young Adults With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Adolescents and younger adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) had superior outcomes on a “pediatric” regimen compared with adult treatment protocols. A multicenter phase II study included pat...
Promising Upfront Combination in Older Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Frontline treatment with the antibody-drug conjugate inotuzumab ozogamicin plus deintensified chemotherapy is a promising option for older patients with Philadelphia chromosome–negative acute lymphobl...
ASH Announces Top Trainee Abstracts of 2015 Annual Meeting
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) recognized investigators with the highest-scoring abstracts in the categories of undergraduate student, medical student, graduate student, resident physician, ...
Midostaurin: A New Standard of Care in Acute Myeloid Leukemia?
Upfront treatment with midostaurin added to standard chemotherapy improved survival compared with placebo plus chemotherapy in high-risk patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) characterized by FLT...
Ibrutinib Bests Standard of Care for Elderly Patients With CLL
First-line treatment with the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor ibrutinib (Imbruvica) significantly reduced the risk of dying or disease progression compared with chlorambucil (Leukeran) in older tre...
Impressive Results With Daratumumab Plus Lenalidomide/Dexamethasone in Multiple Myeloma
The anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody daratumumab (Darzalex) took center stage among multiple myeloma studies presented at the 57th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition. In relaps...
Julie Vose, MD, MBA, and John F. Gerecitano, MD, PhD, on Venetoclax for NHL
Julie Vose, MD, MBA, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and John F. Gerecitano, MD, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discuss a phase I study of venetoclax monotherapy in pati...
David Henry, MD, on Anticoagulants: Expert Perspective
David Henry, MD, of Pennsylvania Hospital, discusses new advances with direct oral anticoagulants, or DOACs.
Sagar Lonial, MD, and Alessandra Tedeschi, MD, on CLL/SLL: Results From the RESONATE-2 Trial
Sagar Lonial, MD, of the Emory University School of Medicine, and Alessandra Tedeschi, MD, of the Azienda Ospedaliera Niguarda Cà Granda, discuss this international study of ibrutinib vs chlorambucil ...
Sagar Lonial, MD, on Multiple Myeloma: How I Treat Newly Diagnosed Patients
Sagar Lonial, MD, of Emory University School of Medicine, summarizes his educational session on this vital topic.
Sagar Lonial, MD, and Torben Plesner, MD, on Multiple Myeloma: Updated Results of the Phase I/II GEN503 Study
Sagar Lonial, MD, of Emory University School of Medicine, and Torben Plesner, MD, of Vejle Hospital, discuss the latest findings on the use of daratumumab in combination with lenalidomide and dexameth...
Mikkael A. Sekeres, MD, on MDS and CMML Study Results: SWOG S1117
Mikkael A. Sekeres, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic, discusses an additional analysis of a phase II study of azacitidine combined with lenalidomide or with vorinostat vs azacitidine monotherapy in higher-...
Kieron Dunleavy, MD, on Burkitt Lymphoma: Preliminary Report of the DA-EPOCH-R Trial
Kieron Dunleavy, MD, of the National Cancer Institute, discusses a multi-center trial that set out to validate the effectiveness of DA-EPOCH-R-based therapy and whether a risk-adapted approach using t...
James N. Kochenderfer, MD, on Multiple Myeloma: Results of a First-in-Humans Clinical Trial
James N. Kochenderfer, MD, of the National Cancer Institute, reports on remissions of multiple myeloma during a trial of T cells expressing an anti-B-cell maturation antigen chimeric antigen receptor ...
James Foran, MD, on Clofarabine for AML: Clinical Trial Results of ECOG-ACRIN and ALFA/Clara
James Foran, MD, of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, discusses two key studies on clofarabine: as a single agent for induction and postremission therapy in newly diagnosed AML, and as the basis for cons...
Nathan Hale Fowler, MD, on Follicular Lymphoma: Ibrutinib Plus Rituximab Study Results
Nathan Hale Fowler, MD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses a multicenter trial in which ibrutinib plus rituximab was administered to treatment-naive patients with follicular lymphoma (Abstract 47...
Hagop M. Kantarjian, MD, on AML: Safety and Efficacy of Guadecitabine
Hagop M. Kantarjian, MD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses a study that compared efficacy and safety results of using 5-day and 10-day regimens of a novel hypomethylating agent in 103 treatment-...
S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD, on Multiple Myeloma: Newly Approved Drugs
S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, summarizes a special FDA-sponsored session on the three myeloma drugs that were approved this November––daratumumab, ixazomib, and elotozumab––and their cu...
Alok A. Khorana, MD, on Preventing Venous Thromboembolism
Alok A. Khorana, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic, discusses study results on the use of dalteparin for thromboprophylaxis in cancer patients at high risk for the condition (Abstract 427).
Margaret O'Donnell, MD, on Novel Approaches to Treatment for Older AML Patients
Margaret O'Donnell, MD, of the City of Hope National Medical Center, summarizes a session on this vital topic (Session 613).
Craig H. Moskowitz, MD, on NHL: Early Study Results on Denintuzumab Mafodotin
Craig H. Moskowitz, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses a phase I study of an anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody used in relapsed/refactory B-lineage non-Hodgkin lymphoma (Abstract 182...
Simon Rule, MD, on MCL: Ibrutinib vs Temsirolimus
Simon Rule, MD, of Derriford Hospital, discusses results from an international, multicenter study in patients with previously treated mantle cell lymphoma (Abstract 469).
Stephen J. Schuster, MD, on CD19+ Lymphomas: Sustained Remissions in Relapsed or Refractory Disease
Stephen J. Schuster, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, discusses the findings of a study of chimeric antigen receptor modified T cells directed against CD19 in patients with relapsed or refractor...
Laurie H. Sehn, MD, MPH, on Classical HL: New Findings on the Need for Radiotherapy
Laurie H. Sehn, MD, MPH, of the British Columbia Cancer Agency, discusses a study that showed patients with advanced-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma, with a negative PET-scan following ABVD chemother...
John Leonard, MD, on DLBCL: Results From the Pyramid Trial
John Leonard, MD, of Weill Cornell Medical College, discusses this phase II study of R-CHOP with or without bortezomib in patients with untreated non-germinal center B-cell-like subtype diffuse large ...
S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD, on Advances in Myeloma
S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, summarizes his education session on the evolving diagnostic criteria for myeloma, which focused on smoldering disease and when it becomes an “open flame.”
