Acute Leukemia Information

Highlights from the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) - CME
Hagop Kantarjian, MD; Mikkael Sekeres, MD; and Charles Abrams, MD

Supportive Care and Hematologic Malignancies: Updates from ASH 2007 - CME
Roger M. Lyons, MD, FACP, Cancer Care Centers South Texas / US Oncology, San Antonio, Texas

Updates in the Management of Myelodysplastic Syndromes: A Report from the 2007 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Meeting - CME
Mikkael A. Sekeres, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

Myelodysplastic Syndrome: An Update from ASCO 2007
Hagop Kantarjian, MD, Chairman and Professor, Leukemia Department, MD Anderson Cancer Center

Updates on the Management of Hematopoietic Supportive Care- ASCO 2007
Hagop Kantarjian, MD, Chairman and Professor, Leukemia Department, MD Anderson Cancer Center

Age Is an Independent Adverse Risk Factor for Survival and Relapse in Patients with AML (12/29/2008)
Researchers from Germany have reported that older age is an independent adverse risk factor for relapse and survival in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The details of this study were presented at the 50^th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology on December 8, 2008 in San Francisco.

Androgens During Maintenance Therapy May Improve Outcome of Elderly Patients with AML (12/23/2008)
Researchers from France have reported that the “addition of low-dose norethandrolone to maintenance chemotherapy is associated with an improved outcome in elderly patients with AML.” The details of this pilot study were presented at the 50^th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology on December 8, 2008 in San Francisco.

Cladribine Added to Standard Induction Therapy Improves Survival of Younger Patients with AML (12/23/2008)
Researchers from Poland have reported that the addition of cladribine to standard daunomycin/cytoarabine improves the complete remission (CR) rate and survival of newly diagnosed younger patients (60 years of age or younger) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The details of this Phase III randomized trial were reported at the 50^th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology on December 8, 2008 in San Francisco.

Gemtuzumab May Improve Outcomes of Newly Diagnosed AML in Children (12/22/2008)
Researchers affiliated with the Children’s Oncology Group have reported that addition of a single dose of gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg®) to standard induction may improve outcomes of children with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The details of this pilot study were presented at the 50^th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology on December 8, 2008 in San Francisco.

Good Results from Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation After Imatinib-based Induction for Ph+ ALL (12/19/2008)
Researchers from Japan have reported a three-year relapse-free survival of 53% for patients receiving an allogeneic stem cell transplant from related, unrelated, or cord blood donors in first complete remission (CR) for Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The details of this study were presented at the 50^th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology on December 8, 2008 in San Francisco.