The LLS Blog

Precision Medicine and Immunotherapy @ ASCO16

By Andrea Greif | June, 2016

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (#ASCO16) annual meeting featured several significant oral scientific presentations on the blood cancers over the weekend here in Chicago.

CPX-351: A session on hematological malignancies Saturday afternoon included a discussion of final data from the Phase 3 clinical trial of Celator’s drug CPX-351 (Vyxeos ®). LLS invested substantially in this study through our Therapy Acceleration Program (TAP). The study was in a small subset of elderly patients diagnosed with secondary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) – either it had developed from myelodysplastic syndrome or as a result of treatment from another myeloid cancer. Dr. Jeffrey Lancet of Moffitt Cancer Center presented the data, showing that CPX-351, an innovative reformulation of standard chemotherapy, outperformed the standard combination of cytarabine and daunorubicin (generally known as 7+3) by all measures: the primary endpoint – overall survival; and other secondary endpoints, such as event-free survival, complete response, overall response, safety and even for those patients who subsequently underwent a stem cell transplant.

Both Dr. Lancet, and Dr. Richard Larsen of University of Chicago, who moderated the question and answer portion, asserted that the drug should become the first line therapy for this patient group. Celator and Jazz Pharmaceuticals recently announced a merger, with the hopes that Jazz can help bring the drug, which recently received breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA, the rest of the way through the regulatory review process. 

Putting Patients at the Center of Care at #ASCO16

By Andrea Greif | June, 2016

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (#ASCO16) annual meeting kicked off today as more than 30,000 researchers from around the world converged in Chicago to share their latest clinical findings on treatments and diagnostics for all cancers, and to exchange ideas about how to improve outcomes for cancer patients.

Putting patients at the center of cancer care and research is this year’s theme at ASCO, something we at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) try to do every day. Sprinkled among the scientific presentations of clinical data will be many educational discussions and lectures about better meeting the needs of the patient.

Staying One Step Ahead of Myeloma – and Counting on New Research

By Mary Jane Reilly | June, 2016

Myeloma is a beast.  It is a complicated cancer with no cure and, with so many different types, no two patients are the same.  Drugs can put it into remission, but it almost always comes back.  And when it does, it’s a little more aggressive and needs to be attacked in a different way.  

This is knowledge I’ve been living with for four years now and I’m doing everything I can to stay one step ahead of my disease.

Believing there was a cure down the line, I opted for a clinical trial to improve on the standard treatment I was offered. And now that I’ve recently relapsed, I’m pinning my hopes on immunotherapy while planning ahead for a stem cell transplant.

I try to take things day by day, although of course that can be difficult at times. Life is busy, with a husband and three teenagers, working full time in a job that I love, and managing an illness is very time consuming. I am blessed to have an amazing family and friend support system.