MIAMI CONFERENCE ON HEMATOLOGY MALIGNANCIES

Have completed the conference update here in Miami-Florida. The conference gathered close to 100 Oncologist, In the beautiful Hotel Loews at Corner of 16th Street and Collins avenue.
Subject covered went from Myeloma to Myelofibrosis and will be all make subjects of the upcoming blog this week.  Our approach will not only focus GIVING YOU THE HIGHLIGHTS but also discussing how they fit into our perspectives at CRBCM.  And what associated assumptions can be made based on fundamemtal knowledge discussed in the conference.
From the CRBCM stand point, 2 speaker stood out, Professor Jerry Spivak, Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for the chronic Myeloproliferative disorders who spoke enthusiastically about Myelofibrosis and the new drug Ruxolitinib,  And DR Elias Jabbour, an associate professor in the Leukemia Department at MD Anderson cancer Center.
Once again we will summarize all this week material from this conference starting with Myelodysplasia.  We should confess that some drugs earn significant excitement with Ibrutinib in CHronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.  We predict that this drug in combination Rituxan will soon become the standard of care because of its effect that appears independent of whatever genetic prognosis factors (activity across the board)! and also because of high rates of responses!  Potential Hepatic concerns however call for patient close observation and monitoring.  While Pralatrexate is now more chosen in peripheral T cell Lymphoma. Romidepsin is coming a close 2nd in this disease.
Dasatinib won the war against Nilotinib as the choice in practice for the 2nd generation TKI in CML except for those with lung concern as comorbidity.  In mantle cell lymphoma, the rise in importance of Ibrutinib can not be ignored. Pomalidomide strength is with Dex, emphasizing further once again the importance of DExamethasone in this disease!
In Chronic Myeloid leukemia, the importance of Bone marrow transplantation has shriken until you specifically looking for a cure (Allogeneic transplant) and until the TKI have failed or that the transformation (by high blast) is occuring.  Very exciting to see these new drugs trying to define their places in a filed invaded by Target therapy (Vs conventional chemotherapy which is increasingly pushed-by not forgotten).