Press Releases
The drug imatinib mesylate, more commonly known as Gleevec®, proves safe and effective over the long term in patients with an advanced form of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), according to a study prepublished online in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
Multiple myeloma is one of the most common and devastating bone marrow cancers in the U.S., but survival rates have risen dramatically over the past decade. Recent analyses suggest that this trend may be attributed to new types of drugs and aggressive therapeutic interventions such as stem cell transplantation, according to the results of two studies prepublished online in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
A long-term study found that a type of stem cell transplant used for patients with life-threatening diseases, such as leukemia and lymphoma, results in decreased sexual function and activity for recipients. Further, males are likely to recover from these changes over time, while the sexuality of female patients remains compromised. In addition, neither male nor female long-term cancer survivors regained levels of sexual activity and function equal to those of their peers who have not had cancer, according to a Blood First Edition Paper prepublished online today. Blood is the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
Genetic testing can be used to help personalize the therapeutic dosage of warfarin, a commonly-used anticoagulant, according to research published in the September 1, 2007, issue of Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology. This result represents one of the first applications of using an individual's genetic information to guide personal medical care.
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There is no known cure for multiple myeloma, so its diagnosis means high-dose chemotherapy followed by repeated treatments with each relapse of the cancer – a watch and wait approach. A new approach of providing patients with continuous therapy to keep the cancer at bay was explored by a team of international researchers from France, Switzerland, and Belgium; their findings will be published in the November 15, 2006, issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
Those with severe chronic anemias need frequent blood transfusions to remain healthy, but such frequent
transfusions can cause a potentially deadly buildup of iron in the body, leading to heart and liver failure. The
traditional treatment to remove excess iron is so onerous that many patients choose to forgo it, putting their own
lives at risk. The results of an international study on deferasirox, a new drug that may revolutionize the way
chronic iron overload is treated, will be published in the May 1, 2006, issue of Blood, the official
journal of the American Society of Hematology.
Researchers have found that a simple test for an enzyme called LDH may have significant importance for
determining major risk factors in adults with sickle cell disease. The study results will be published in the
March 15, 2006, issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
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A drug used for the treatment of sickle cell anemia in adults has now been shown to cause significant
improvements in very young children with the disorder. The finding is an important one as these young patients are
especially vulnerable to serious organ failure and even death at an early age. The study results will be published
in the October 1, 2005, issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
When people hear “thalidomide,” many think “birth defects,” however, evidence has come to light that this
once-banned drug can be used as a potent anti-cancer treatment. In a new study, researchers from the University
of Bologna, Italy, demonstrate that Thal-Dex (thalidomide used in combination with dexamethasone) is more powerful
than conventional chemotherapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Their findings will be published in the July
1, 2005, issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
Today, the most common childhood cancer is cured in about 80 percent of patients; only forty years ago, this
number was closer to five percent. In efforts to further increase the survival rate, researchers from St. Jude
Children’s Research Hospital, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Chicago studied how an
individual’s genetics might play a role in the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs. Their findings will be
published in the June 15, 2005, issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
Improved techniques and supportive care have resulted in a growing number of long-term survivors of stem cell
transplants, though little is known about the impact transplants have on patients’ lives long after treatment. To
find the answers, researchers from the City of Hope Cancer Center and the University of Minnesota assessed 854
cancer patients that had undergone stem cell transplants, taking a detailed look at the aftereffects of the
procedure in the years following the transplant. Their results will be published in the June 1, 2005, issue of
Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
A typically innocuous virus found in 90 percent of people worldwide is the key to a new treatment for a cancer
particularly common in North Africa and Southeast Asia. A new study showing that antigens produced by the Epstein
Barr virus may provide an ideal target for therapy will be published in the March 1, 2005, issue of Blood, the
official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
Stem cell transplantation using umbilical cord blood is a standard treatment option for blood disorders in
children, but not for adults, due to the difficulty of obtaining a sufficiently large dose of cells. To solve
this problem, researchers from the University of Minnesota examined a new technique that combines two cord blood
units from different donors for transplantation into adult or adolescent leukemia patients. Their study is to be
published in the February 1, 2005, issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
Stem cell transplants have become the standard of care for patients with relapsed lymphoma, but not for
patients who suffer from both this disease and HIV. A new study showing that this treatment is a viable option
for selected patients with HIV-associated lymphoma will be published in the January 15, 2005, issue of Blood,
the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
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