Breaking News from the WM Front
Steven Treon, MD, PhD – Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 2019 Ed Forum
Explains why complete responses are so uncommon in WM, even with targeted therapy, what are the WM-centric toxicities with commonly used therapies, how pro-survival signaling of WM cells is driven by mutated MYD88 in WM, how CXCR4 mutations permit ongoing pro-survival signaling of Wm cells by CXCL12 and makes CXCR4 resistant to ibrutinib and the impact of CXCR4 on WM response and progression free survival (PFS). Reviews studies with ibrutinib, venetoclax, a combination of both drugs, zanubrutinib, acalabrutinib, and incorporating other novel treatments to eradicate residual or resistant disease. Also explains what the knowledge gaps are for developing more effective treatments for patients with WM without MYD88 mutations, the knowledge gaps for treating Bing Neel Syndrome, and treatment outcomes of WM-related peripheral neuropathy.
Immunotherapy – Making the Immune System Target WM Cells
Stephen Ansell MD, PhD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, 2019 Ed Forum
Explains how immunotherapy activates T-cells into killer T-cells and prevents them from being switched off, so that the T-cell has increased ability to target cancer cells. Over time, T-cells can become “exhausted” and switched off with loss of function. Strategies to block these “switched off” signals with PD1 blockade and CTLA-4 blockade are presented. T-cells in WM are not activated, strategies are presented to activate the T-cell by “waking’ them up by giving them a “poke.” T-cells in WM also do not “lock on” to their targets. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy may give the T-cell a new way to “dock” onto WM cells.
Help in Choosing a Clinical Trial
Alissa Gentile, MSN, RN – Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), 2018 Ed Forum
Reviews myths about clinical trials, how to find clinical trials, how LLS can help locate clinical trials that might be right for you, and what are your rights around clinical trials
No video available
Clinical Trials & Why They Are Important
Gwen Nichols, MD – Chief Medical Officer, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), 2018 Ed Forum
Explains how all the medicines you take today are only available because patients participated in various stages of clinical trial development, goes into depth on how a drug gets developed and goes through phase I, II, and III clinical trials, why clinical trials take so long and what is being done to speed them up, provides an overview of the LLS Clinical Trials Service Center (CTSC), and the LLS Patient Registry, a “real world” clinical trial
The Patient Perspective on Clinical Trials
Ron Ternoway, Support Group Leader from Nova Scotia, 2017 Ed Forum
Provides the patient’s perspective about living with cancer and participating in clinical trials for WM
Edward Libby, MD, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, 2017 Ed Forum
Discusses current and soon to be open clinical trials for WM
Translating Genomic Findings into New Treatment Opportunities for WM
Reviews WM-centric toxicities with commonly used therapies and discusses new directions in WM based on the MYD88 L265P somatic mutation in WM
Clinical Trials
Megan Andersen, NP-C -Colorado Blood Cancer Institute, 2016 Ed Forum
No video available
Cellular Immunotherapy for Lymphoid Cancers
Edward Stadtmauer, MD, University of Pennsylvania, 2016 Ed Forum
Covers the manifestations of WM, immunologic approaches to overcome self-tolerance in lymphoma, rationale for cellular immunotherapy in lymphoma, adoptive T-cell therapy, second generation of CAR for B-cell malignancies, overview of activated/engineered T-cell therapy, CD19-targeted CAR T-cells for B-cell malignancies, phase I trial for CLL, results with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma and adverse events, pilot study of CART19 in multiple myeloma, CART-BCMA cells for multiple myeloma, and potential strategies to improve CART therapy in lymphoma
Frontline Treatment Options for WM
Jorge Castillo, MD - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 2016 Ed Forum
Reviews the manifestations of WM disease, NCCN guidelines for initiation of treatment for WM, single agent treatments, combination therapies, maintenance, and new directions, including frontier clinical trials at Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Targeted Therapies for WM
Steven Treon, MD, PhD - Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 2015 Ed Forum
Explains the WM-centric toxicities with commonly used therapies and new treatment directions in WM, including MYD88 L265P mutation and the MYD88 L265P signal pathway, Ibrutinib studies and its effect on side effects and survival, WHIM-like CXCR4 C-tail mutations in WM, unmutated MYD88 disease in WM, Idelalisib, clinical trial of ABT-199 (BCL2 inhibitor) in relapsed/refractory WM, resistance to Ibrutinib, and Ixazomib clinical trial
The Clinical Trials Process (an educated patient’s guide)
Gwen Nichols, MD – Hoffmann-LaRoche Translational and Clinical Research Center, 2014 Ed Forum
Raises questions about clinical trials, do they work and how to become an educated consumer, and covers the drug development process, clinical trials and the 5 “Ws,” clinical trial lingo, why drug development takes so long, questions to ask about trial participation (questions to ask your MD and yourself)
No video available
Progress in Indolent Lymphoma:
Is Chemotherapy Dead?
Bruce Cheson, MD – Georgetown University, 2014 Ed Forum
Reviews chemotherapy and where are we going in treatment strategies and clinical trials, problems in new drug development, and issues for the future
Novel Treatments for WM
Peter Martin, MD - Weill Cornell Medical College, 2014 Ed Forum
Discusses the consensus recommendations of the 4th International WM meeting and then presents how drug development proceeds in WM with a discussion of new therapies and clinical trials
No video available