Department of Medicine Hematologists Present Findings at 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH)

Leading hematologists in the Department of Medicine presented new basic and clinical research findings at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in New Orleans, Dec. 5-8.

Highlights of presentations from faculty members in the Department of Medicine included the following:

• Bendamustine, Bortezomib and Rituximab in Patients (pts) Relapsed/Refractory Indolent and Mantle Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL): A Multicenter Phase II Clinical Trial [924]

Oral Session: Lymphoma: Chemotherapy, Excluding Pre-Clinical Models - New Treatments

Dr. John Leonard(Chief of the lymphoma/myeloma service, Clinical Director of the Center for Lymphoma and Myeloma and director of the Hematology Oncology Clinical Research Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center; and The Richard T. Silver Distinguished Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College), et al.

Authors will present findings from a study examining a novel combination of three new drugs (Bendamustine, Bortezomib and Rituximab) for the treatment of lymphoma. The researchers demonstrate that the compounds can be safely combined and are highly effective in patients with resistance to other standard treatments.

• Evaluation of Alternative, "Low-intensity" Induction Regimens in Elderly Adults with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) [2066]

Oral and Poster Abstracts Poster Session: Acute Myeloid Leukemia - Therapy, Excluding Transplantation Poster II

Dr. Eric J. Feldman (Director of the Leukemia Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College), et al.

Over a 10-year period, the authors tested low-doses of chemotherapy agents - ara-C in combination with arsenic trioxide and tipifarnib - in elderly populations, suffering from acute myeloid leukemia (AML), in order to lessen the drugs' toxicity and side effects. Normally, patients receive full doses of ara-C and daunorubicin. The researchers found that this strategy was not effective at treating most patients with AML, therefore requiring further treatment, but without other negative effects.

• ABC and GCB DLBCLs Display Unique Biologically Distinct and Clinically Relevant Epigenetic Signatures [619]

Oral Session: Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma - Biology, Excluding Therapy: Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma: Biology and Prognosis

Dr. Ari Melnick (Director of Core Facilities in Epigenomic Research and Associate Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College), et al.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is characterized by two subgroups: ABC and GCB - ABC being a more severe and difficult type to treat with current clinical therapy. However, both types have similar genetic fingerprints, making it unclear what causes the differences between the two. The researchers have discovered differences in the epigenetic signatures of the two subgroups - their DNA methylation - that may help with diagnosis and future tailored therapies.


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