Hematologic Oncology

In light of the recent announcement by Vice President Joe Biden to infuse the US cancer research program with $1 billion, a so-called “Moon Shot” program, we are speaking today with Giulio Draetta, a clinician and cancer researcher at MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas in Houston, who leads that center’s Moon Shots program.

Although a child’s socioeconomic status did not seem to significantly affect 5-year overall survival ALL, those children who were from high-poverty areas experienced early relapse compared with children who were from low-poverty areas.

Individuals with increased height or body mass index during adolescence showed an increased association with a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

A phase I trial found that blinatumomab, a bispecific T-cell engager antibody, is feasible with regard to safety for treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

A new personalized DNA-based assay can detect very low levels of persistent disease in chronic myeloid leukemia patients thought to be in deep remission.

Despite similar survival, multiple myeloma patients treated with lenalidomide experienced lower rates of neurologic toxicity than those treated with thalidomide.

Researchers have uncovered the mechanism that causes about one-third of myeloma cases associated with Gaucher disease, showing that myeloma cells target certain lipids that are elevated in the blood of a subset of patients.

A number of clinical and sociodemographic factors, including age and gender, were found to be independently associated with fatigue and depression among cancer patients who were treated with hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Five-year results of the randomized phase III ENESTnd trial show a positive risk-benefit profile for nilotinib in patients with CML, as compared to imatinib.

Treatment with the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors dasatinib, nilotinib, and ponatinib was associated with increased risk for vascular occlusive events in patients with CML compared with imatinib.

Older patients with AML who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy achieved improved overall survival when assigned to low-dose gemtuzumab ozogamicin.

Laboratory studies of mice and human cells found that a protein called Metastasis suppressor 1 (Mtss1) is downregulated in hematopoietic and progenitor cells when chronic myeloid leukemia is present. Mtss1 levels are restored when complete remission is achieved, suggesting the pathway might represent a new therapeutic target.

The FDA granted approval to ofatumumab for the treatment of patients with recurrent or progressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia who are in complete or partial remission after two or more lines of prior therapy.

The FDA recently expanded the drug label for carfilzomib (Kyprolis), which is now approved in combination with dexamethasone or with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone for patients with relapsed or refractory disease who have received one to three lines of therapy.

A laboratory study found that the Hhex protein is overexpressed in acute myeloid leukemia cells and is necessary for their propagation but not for normal myelopoiesis.

Most adolescent and young adult survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma did not receive the recommended care within the first year post-treatment, according to a study.

A laboratory study showed that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonists such as pioglitazone could help treat chronic myeloid leukemia patients who are resistant or otherwise unresponsive to treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

A new study has shown that dinaciclib disrupted homologous recombination function and led to cell death in multiple myeloma cell lines when combined with the PARP1/2 inhibitor ABT-888.

Researchers have identified several factors that may help to predict the progression of vertebral fractures and future fractures in patients with multiple myeloma.

An oncology pharmacist-managed program significantly increased adherence to tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy among patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.

In this interview we discuss results of the CALGB 10603 RATIFY trial of midostaurin for acute myeloid leukemia presented earlier this month at ASH.

More than half of hematologists providing care to patients with hematologic malignancies reported initiating end-of-life conversations too late in the course of the patient’s disease.

The success of allogeneic HCT in patients with AML varied among those with complete remission and minimal residual disease positivity vs negativity.

Ponatinib offered a better overall survival for chronic myeloid leukemia patients in chronic phase compared with allogeneic stem cell transplantation.