Leukemia News

Sprycel® Superior to High-dose Gleevec® in Gleevec-resistant CML (07/01/2009)
Sprycel® (dasatinib) produces a higher response rate and improves progression-free survival in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who have grown resistant to Gleevec® (imatinib), according to the results of a study published early online in Cancer.

Eliminating Preventive Radiation May Benefit Children with ALL (06/26/2009)
Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who are treated with effective, risk-adjusted chemotherapy regimens have good outcomes and may safely be able to avoid preventive radiation therapy to the brain. These results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Formaldehyde Exposure May Increase Risk of Blood and Lymphatic Cancers (06/23/2009)
Industrial workers who are exposed to formaldehyde may be at an increased risk of dying from blood and lymphatic cancers, particularly myeloid leukemia but also Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma, according to the results of a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Compressed Dose-dense Induction with S-HAM Effective and Less Toxic for AML Patients (05/05/2009)
The dose-dense induction regimen S-HAM (sequential high-dose cytarabine [Cytosar®] and mitoxantrone [Novantrone®] followed by Neulasta® [pegfilgrastim]) delivered in two induction cycles over 11-12 days instead of 25-29 days is highly effective in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and results in a shorter period of low blood cell counts. The results of this study were published in Blood.

Abnormal Cells Identified in Blood Years Before Diagnosis of CLL (03/09/2009)
According to the results of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) appears to be preceded by a condition known as monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL).

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Screening/Prevention

Formaldehyde Exposure May Increase Risk of Blood and Lymphatic Cancers (06/23/2009)
Industrial workers who are exposed to formaldehyde may be at an increased risk of dying from blood and lymphatic cancers, particularly myeloid leukemia but also Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma, according to the results of a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

September Is National Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month (09/02/2008)
As the month of September brings leukemia and lymphoma into focus, it’s a great time to increase public understanding of these diseases, including their prevalence, approaches to screening and prevention, treatment options, and resources that offer updated leukemia and lymphoma information throughout the year.

Cyclophosphamide May Increase Cancer Risk Among Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (03/10/2008)
A large study conducted in Canada reveals that patients who are treated for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with the drug cyclophosphamide may have an increased risk for developing hematological cancers such as lymphoma.

Being Overweight Associated with Increased Risk of Several Cancers (02/19/2008)
Excess bodyweight increases the risk of developing several types of cancer, according to results recently published in The Lancet.

Vitamins During Pregnancy Decrease Childhood Cancer Risk (02/23/2007)
According to an early online publication in the journal Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, children of mothers who take vitamins during pregnancy have a decreased risk of pediatric brain tumors, neuroblastoma, and leukemia.

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Chronic Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Abnormal Cells Identified in Blood Years Before Diagnosis of CLL (03/09/2009)
According to the results of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) appears to be preceded by a condition known as monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL).

Sequential Treatment with Fludara®, Cytoxan®, and Rituxan® Produces High-quality Responses in CLL (03/03/2009)
Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) treated with Fludara® (fludarabine), followed by consolidation with Cytoxan® (cyclophosphamide), and finally consolidation with Rituxan® (rituximab) (F→C→R) achieved high-quality responses that improved with each phase of therapy, according to the results of a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

FCR-Lite Is Safe and Effective in Previously Untreated CLL (02/23/2009)
FCR-Lite, a drug regimen that consists of Fludara® (fludarabine), Cytoxan® (cyclophosphamide), and Rituxan® (rituximab), is highly effective in previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and produces significantly less grade 3-4 neutropenia than FCR, which uses higher doses of Fludara and Cytoxan. The results of this study were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology 2008: Advances in Treatment of Lymphoma and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (02/02/2009)
At the 2008 meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), there were more than 100 abstracts devoted to the treatment of lymphoma. There is increasing evidence that survival of patients with lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is steadily increasing. New drugs are being developed at a reasonable rate, which creates the question of how best to incorporate all the available drugs in an optimal manner. Additionally, there appears to be significant progress in reduced-intensity allogeneic stem cell transplants for low-grade lymphomas.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology 2008: Highlights of Treatment of Hematological Malignancies (01/30/2009)
The 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held in Chicago, Illinois, again revealed advances in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Patients with chronic or acute leukemias, myelodysplastic syndromes, and myeloproliferative disorders continue to be presented with novel, effective options for the treatment of their diseases.

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Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Eliminating Preventive Radiation May Benefit Children with ALL (06/26/2009)
Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who are treated with effective, risk-adjusted chemotherapy regimens have good outcomes and may safely be able to avoid preventive radiation therapy to the brain. These results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology 2008: Highlights of Treatment of Hematological Malignancies (01/30/2009)
The 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held in Chicago, Illinois, again revealed advances in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Patients with chronic or acute leukemias, myelodysplastic syndromes, and myeloproliferative disorders continue to be presented with novel, effective options for the treatment of their diseases.

Developments in the Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Update from ASH 2008 (01/28/2009)
Several studies presented at the 2008 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting focused on improving the outcome of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children and adults.

Dexamethasone Superior to Prednisone for Induction Therapy in Childhood ALL (12/15/2008)
Dexamethasone in the induction phase of combination chemotherapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) resulted in one-third fewer relapses than prednisone, according to the results of a study presented at the 50^th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology on December 7, 2008 in San Francisco, California.

Survival Rates Improving in Childhood Hematologic Cancers (09/29/2008)
Five- and 10-year survival rates in childhood hematalogic cancers have significantly improved since 1990, according to the results of a study recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Compressed Dose-dense Induction with S-HAM Effective and Less Toxic for AML Patients (05/05/2009)
The dose-dense induction regimen S-HAM (sequential high-dose cytarabine [Cytosar®] and mitoxantrone [Novantrone®] followed by Neulasta® [pegfilgrastim]) delivered in two induction cycles over 11-12 days instead of 25-29 days is highly effective in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and results in a shorter period of low blood cell counts. The results of this study were published in Blood.

Developments in the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Update from ASH 2008 (02/04/2009)
Several studies presented at the 2008 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting focused on improving the outcome of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in children and adults, with a particular emphasis on elderly patients.

Older Age Does Not Affect Survival in Patients with AML or MDS Who Undergo Mini-transplants (12/30/2008)
Age should not be a barrier for non-myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), according to the results of a study presented at the 50^th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology on December 7, 2008 in San Francisco, California.

High-dose Chemotherapy with Cerubidine® Significantly Prolongs Survival in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (11/19/2008)
Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who receive high doses of Cerubidine® (daunorubicin) live significantly longer than patients who receive a standard dose of the same drug, according to preliminary results of a large, randomized clinical trial sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and conducted by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG).

Survival Rates Improving in Childhood Hematologic Cancers (09/29/2008)
Five- and 10-year survival rates in childhood hematalogic cancers have significantly improved since 1990, according to the results of a study recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

September Is National Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month (09/02/2008)
As the month of September brings leukemia and lymphoma into focus, it’s a great time to increase public understanding of these diseases, including their prevalence, approaches to screening and prevention, treatment options, and resources that offer updated leukemia and lymphoma information throughout the year.

Arsenic Trioxide Effective as Single Agent in Newly Diagnosed APL (03/31/2006)
According to an article recently published in the journal Blood, the agent arsenic trioxide, when used as a single agent, provides impressive outcomes among patients with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Elderly with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Achieve Long-Term Survival with Treatment (08/19/2004)
According to results published in a recent advanced online article in the journal Blood, long-term cancer-free survival can be achieved with treatment consisting of an anthracycline and ATRA for elderly patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia.

ATRA Plus Trisenox®: A Promising Treatment for Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (12/17/2003)
According to results presented at the 2003 annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, the combination of all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (Trisenox®) improves cancer-free survival compared with either agent alone in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Intensified Induction Therapy May Reduce Relapses in APL (03/05/2002)
According to results recently presented at the 43 ^rd annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, evidence suggests that patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) may have a low rate of cancer recurrence after intensified induction therapy including high dose cytarabine and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA).

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Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Sprycel® Superior to High-dose Gleevec® in Gleevec-resistant CML (07/01/2009)
Sprycel® (dasatinib) produces a higher response rate and improves progression-free survival in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who have grown resistant to Gleevec® (imatinib), according to the results of a study published early online in Cancer.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology 2008: Highlights of Treatment of Hematological Malignancies (01/30/2009)
The 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held in Chicago, Illinois, again revealed advances in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Patients with chronic or acute leukemias, myelodysplastic syndromes, and myeloproliferative disorders continue to be presented with novel, effective options for the treatment of their diseases.

Early Dose Intensity of Gleevec® May Optimize Response for Chronic Phase CML (01/20/2009)
Patients with newly diagnosed chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) who receive high doses (600 mg) of Gleevec® (imatinib) in the first year of treatment experience improved molecular response rates, according to the results of a study published in the journal Blood.

September Is National Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month (09/02/2008)
As the month of September brings leukemia and lymphoma into focus, it’s a great time to increase public understanding of these diseases, including their prevalence, approaches to screening and prevention, treatment options, and resources that offer updated leukemia and lymphoma information throughout the year.

LYN Kinase Affects Sensitivity to Gleevec® in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (07/01/2008)
A protein structure known as the LYN kinase appears to play an important role in the effectiveness of Gleevec® (imatinib mesylate) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cancer cells. These results were recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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Hairy Cell Leukemia

September Is National Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month (09/02/2008)
As the month of September brings leukemia and lymphoma into focus, it’s a great time to increase public understanding of these diseases, including their prevalence, approaches to screening and prevention, treatment options, and resources that offer updated leukemia and lymphoma information throughout the year.

Patients with Hairy Cell Leukemia Have an Increased Risk of Second Cancers (02/07/2007)
According to an article recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, patients with hairy cell leukemia are at an increased risk of developing a second cancer later in their lives.

Vaccine Highly Effective in Hairy Cell Leukemia (09/19/2005)
According to a recent article published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the vaccine referred to as recombinant immunotoxin RFB4(dsFv)-PE38 (BL22) is highly effective in the treatment of hairy cell leukemia (HCL).

Simple Diagnostic Test for Hairy Cell Leukemia (08/30/2004)
According to a recent article published in The Lancet, a marker identified by gene profiling referred to as Annexin A1 (ANXA1) can help distinguish hairy cell leukemia from different kinds of leukemia.

Rituxan® Promising for Hairy Cell Leukemia (12/01/2003)
According to a recent article published in the journal Blood, Rituxan® (rituximab) produces high anti-cancer response rates in patients with hairy cell leukemia that has recurred following previous therapy.

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