December 2017
Volume 3, Issue 14
This issue features physicians’ insights on gun control, the use of cannabis for symptom relief, and more.
Table of Contents
December 2017 Issue
Solving the Contract Research Agonization Problem
In the June 2017 issue of ASH Clinical News, we published an editorial calling into question some of the purposes and practices of contract...
The Evolving Role of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacist
As the treatment of hematologic conditions and cancer has evolved to include more personalized, targeted agents, the demand for comprehensive pharmacist services has risen....
December 2017 Issue
Cancer Immunologist Receives New Innovator Award, Launch of Kids First Data Resource Center, and...
LSU Receives $10 Million Grant to Study Virus-Induced Cancers
Louisiana State University (LSU) Health New Orleans received a five-year, $10 million grant from the National...
Harnessing Big Data’s Power, Updates to the Research Agenda, and more
Harnessing Big Data’s Power and Potential
In keeping with the mission of helping hematologists conquer blood diseases worldwide, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) has...
December 2017 Issue
Show Me the Honey!: David Williams, MD
In this edition, David Williams, MD, discusses the rewards and challenges (and dangers) of beekeeping. Dr. Williams is senior vice president and chief scientific...
Gun Violence: A Public Health Crisis
Does the oath to “do no harm” conflict with the right to bear arms?
Issues related to gun violence and regulation are among the most...
What are Biosimilars?
Defining the new category and exploring physicians’ attitudes about biosimilars in the marketplace
A growing number of biosimilars are making their way through the drug...
Anticoagulation During Pregnancy
Because of physiologic changes during pregnancy, the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is approximately five to 10 times higher than during non-pregnancy, and the...
Demystifying Gene Editing With CRISPR
Gene editing has received a great deal of media attention in recently due to its potential for advancing science and treating disease. In a...
Setting a Course for 2020: The Search for the Next Blood Editor-in-Chief
On January 1, 2020, a new Editor-in-Chief will take the helm of Blood, the flagship journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). The...
The Big Business of Biosimilars
Uptake of biosimilars to the market – and the potential savings – will depend on physician education and confidence.
To gain approval from the U.S....
High Hopes
Hematology patients are turning to cannabis for symptom relief, but should they?
As of October 2017, 28 states and the District of Columbia had...
A World of Difference
The slow march to bring high-quality hematology and oncology care to limited-resource areas
The pace of progress in hematology and oncology treatment is dizzying,...
Pulling Back the Curtain: Kenneth C. Anderson, MD
In this edition, Kenneth C. Anderson, MD, shares why hematology is a labor of love for him, and why he’s a lifelong New England...
December 2017 Issue
A Legacy of Mentorship
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) will honor the late Oliver (“Ollie”) W. Press, MD, PhD, with a 2017 Mentor Award at the 59th...
Paying it Forward
In this issue, we speak with Ronald Hoffman, MD, winner of a 2017 ASH Mentor Award. Dr. Hoffman is professor of medicine in hematology...
How I Treat in Brief: New Agents in Myeloma
This month, Philippe Moreau, MD, discusses the changing landscape of multiple myeloma (MM) therapeutics and options for treatment in frontline and relapsed settings.
This material...
How would you treat an older patient with pancytopenia who was diagnosed with ALL?
This month Jonathan E. Kolitz, MD, discusses treating a patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia who is of advanced age.
And don't forget to check out...
December 2017 Issue
Study Identifies Two Measures of Tumor Burden for Risk Stratification of Patients With Hodgkin...
The presence of bulky disease is commonly used as one factor in categorizing patients with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) as having either favorable or...
FDA Grants Orphan-Drug Designation for Hemophilia Gene Therapy
The FDA granted orphan-drug designation to the adeno-associated virus stereotype vector SHP654 (also known as BAX 888), an investigational factor VIII (FVIII) gene therapy...
Preexisting Cardiovascular Conditions Nearly Double Heart Failure Risk Among Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors
Patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that was treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy have an increased risk of heart failure (HF), and the chances are even...
Study Highlights Challenges in Treating Young Patients With Lymphoid Malignancies
In the EURO-LB02 trial, children and adolescents with lymphoma received the Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma-Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (NHL-BFM90) protocol without prophylactic cranial radiotherapy, to determine whether replacing prednisone...
NIH Announces Partnership for Accelerating Cancer Therapies
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) joined with 11 biopharmaceutical companies to launch the Partnership for Accelerating Cancer Therapies (PACT), a five-year, public-private research...
Examining Infection Risk in Patients Treated With Anti-CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapies
Management of the toxicities commonly associated with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity, can require stays in...
FDA Grants Orphan-Drug Designation to PCM-075 for AML
The FDA granted orphan-drug designation to PCM-075 for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). PCM-075 is an oral, highly selective adenosine triphosphate competitive...
Comparing Quality of Life Between Inpatient and Outpatient Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Myeloma
Although previous research has shown that outpatient autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) is safe and feasible for patients with multiple myeloma (MM) – and...
Several Anti-Cancer Drugs On Updated FDA “Watch List”
The FDA released a watch list that includes 19 drugs or drug classes, seven of which are cancer therapies, which may have serious risks...
Is Radiotherapy Necessary for Treating DLBCL With R-CHOP?
The combination of involved-field radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy has been considered a standard treatment for patients with early-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLCBL), but...
First Test to Screen for Zika Virus in Blood Donations Receives Approval
The FDA approved the cobas Zika test, the first test for screening the nation’s blood supply and organ donations for the Zika virus. The...
High Rates of Depression Resulting in Higher Health-Care Costs in Patients With Sickle Cell...
Depression is approximately five times more prevalent in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) than in the general population, and it is significantly associated...
Anti-CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapy Results in Sustained Molecular Remissions in Patients With Ibrutinib-Refractory CLL
Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with complex cytogenetics who relapse after treatment with ibrutinib have few treatment options and a short expected survival....
Compassionate-Use Program Is More Accessible
The FDA is easing restrictions on its compassionate-use program, also known as expanded access, to help streamline the process through which seriously ill patients...
FDA Grants Breakthrough-Therapy Designation to Brentuximab Vedotin for Frontline Treatment of HL
The FDA granted breakthrough-therapy designation to brentuximab vedotin (BV) for frontline treatment of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL).
The decision was based on results from the...
Maryland Enacts First-of-Its-Kind Price-Gouging Law for Pharmaceutical Companies
By denying an injunction filed by a generic-drug industry trade group, a U.S. District Court allowed Maryland to implement the first law penalizing drug...
User-Friendly Adverse Events Reporting System Now Available
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS): Public Dashboard, a user-friendly search tool that improves access...
Study Finds Cancer Risk is Higher Than Expected Among Patients With Pregnancy-Related VTE
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with an increased prevalence of occult cancer. As pregnancy is also associated with an increased risk of VTE, it...
Clinical Trials Review Confirms Poor Outcomes for Patients With Refractory NHL
In an analysis of patient-level data from four large trial cohorts, researchers reported that patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)...
TP53 Mutations Identify Patients With “Highly Aggressive” Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Patients with TP53-mutated mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) have poor overall survival (OS), compared with patients without the mutation. In an analysis of two trials...
Older Patients With AML Have Suboptimal Use of End-of-Life Care
Many older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) do not receive hospice care, and many of those who enroll do so only days before...
FDA Grants Breakthrough-Therapy Designation to Gene Therapy for Hemophilia A
The FDA granted breakthrough-therapy designation to valoctocogene roxaparvovec (formerly BMN 270), an adeno-associated virus 5 FVIII vector designed to restore FVIII plasma concentrations in...
Comparing Brentuximab Vedotin–Based Frontline Regimens for Hodgkin Lymphoma in Older Patients
The combinations of brentuximab vedotin (BV) and dacarbazine or BV and bendamustine both led to high objective response rates (ORR) in older patients with...
Bosutinib BFORE Imatinib: Evaluating Frontline Treatment for Patients With Newly Diagnosed CML
Results from the phase III BFORE trial suggest that treatment with the second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor bosutinib is associated with higher rates of cytogenetic...
December 2017 Issue
American Society of Hematology’s 2017 Annual Meeting Inside Look: Insights from Program Chairs, Speakers,...
This year’s ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition, taking place December 9-12 in Atlanta, Georgia, features a diverse lineup of educational activities, networking opportunities, and...
