The Evolution of Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment: A Glance in the

Summer 2008 • Volume 6 • Number 2
Today
The Evolution of Hodgkin
Lymphoma Treatment:
A Glance in the Past
and What’s Ahead
By Jo Cavallo
A
North American Educational
Forum on Lymphoma
September 26 – 28, 2008
San Francisco, CA
www.lymphoma.org/edforum2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter............................................... 2
LRF News........................................ 3
Clinical Trials................................... 4
Patient Programs............................. 5
Lymphoma Update........................... 6
Research.......................................... 8
Public Policy & Advocacy................ 10
Chapters......................................... 12
Development...................................14
LRF ONLINE: Register online at www.lymphoma.
org to receive the e-mail edition of Lymphoma
Today and stay informed about the latest news
in lymphoma.
lthough Hodgkin lymphoma is an
extremely rare cancer—comprising
less than one percent of all cases
of cancer in the U.S.—it was the discovery
of the disease by British doctor Thomas
Hodgkin in 1832 and subsequent research
in the cancer that led to the first successful
treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma a century later. Today, that pioneering research
is credited with the development of not
just effective treatments against Hodgkin
lymphoma, but other cancers as well. Here
is how those discoveries turned Hodgkin
lymphoma from a fatal disease into a highly curable one and how past and current
research is altering the long-term health
outlook for survivors.
A Look Back
The use of radiotherapy in the early 1930s
was the first breakthrough treatment in
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), but it would
be another 30 years before radiation technology was sufficiently advanced with the
advent of the linear accelerator to improve
patient survival. “In the l950s and ‘60s the
observation was made that if you treated
large fields [of the body] with adequate
doses of radiation of between 35 gray
and 45 gray, you rarely saw recurrences
of Hodgkin lymphoma in the treated areas,” says David Straus, MD, Attending
Physician, Lymphoma Service, Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New
York City.
Those observations were later proven
correct when Henry Kaplan, MD, and Saul
Rosenberg, MD, from Stanford University
School of Medicine, launched the first
randomized prospective studies on the
treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma, and other lymphomas, using high-beam radiation
and statistical analysis to determine the validity of using aggressive treatment to cure
Hodgkin patients.
“Dr. Kaplan devised the so-called extended field radiation therapy approach,
which used this regional type of treatment
systemically,” says Dr. Straus. “Basically, he
divided the body in half by the diaphragm
and the so-called mantle port, which was
the neck, the center of the chest and under
the arms and the inverted Y, which was the
lymph nodes in the back of the abdomen,
pelvis and groin region.”
(continued on page 6)
www.lymphoma.org 1
Letter
The quarterly newsletter of the
Lymphoma Research Foundation
Content Copyright 2008 All rights reserved
FOUNDERS
Ellen Glesby Cohen
Barbara Freundlich
Jerry Freundlich
Chairman Andy Madoff
President Suzanne Bliss
Dear Friends,
We are pleased to bring you an excellent
article on Hodgkin lymphoma in this issue
of Lymphoma Today, featuring interviews
with Sandra Horning, MD (Stanford
University Medical Center), David Straus,
MD (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center) and Anas Younes, MD (MD
Anderson Cancer Center). You will also
find info on current clinical trials that are
being conducted for patients with rare
lymphomas in this issue.
Our LRF chapter structure continues to
grow and we are happy to announce that
both our Arizona and New Jersey Chapters
have just formed affiliates in Tucson and
Northern New Jersey, respectively. These
two new volunteer groups will extend the
reach of the Foundation into additional
communities. We look forward to reporting the growth LRF expects to see as a
result of their efforts in future issues.
Our Lymphomathon program continues
to expand and we hope you enjoy reading
about the first eight events of 2008. We remember the very first Lymphomathon in
Chicago and cannot believe that this year
LRF will have 15 events involving over
5,000 people. How LRF has grown!
Advocacy represents another area
of program growth for LRF. Our new
Director of Public Policy and Advocacy,
Meghan Gutierrez, is not only working on
moving forward LRF’s national priorities,
but is also planning training sessions for
our volunteers. We hope that many of you
will be able to attend these sessions and
will become active public policy advocates
for LRF in the near future.
LRF’s 13th annual North American
Educational Forum on Lymphoma is
planned for September 26-28, 2008 in San
Francisco. You should have received the
formal program brochure outlining another
outstanding weekend long program. If you
did not receive this or need more information, please call us at (800) 500-9976 or
visit us on the web at www.lymphoma.
org/edforum2008. We are once again presenting this program with our wonderful
colleagues in Canada at the Lymphoma
Foundation Canada.
Finally, we are still seeking funds for
both the Werner Family Follicular Challenge
Grant and the Prince Family CLL/SLL
Challenge Grant. By contributing to one of
the challenge grants, your donation will be
matched dollar for dollar. We extend our
very heartfelt thank you to all of you who
have already contributed to one of these
challenges. For more information, please
contact Sue at (800) 235-6848.
We hope you have a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you at the
Educational Forum in September!
Sincerely,
Andy Madoff
Chairman of the Board
2 Lymphoma Today
Suzanne Bliss
President
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Andy Madoff, Chairman of the Board & CEO
Errol M. Cook, Immediate Past Chairman & CEO
Michael Ditzian, Executive Vice President
Tom Condon, Treasurer
Evelyn Lipori, Secretary
Richard I. Fisher, MD
Chairman, Scientific Advisory Board
Morton Coleman, MD
Chairman, Medical Affiliates Board
Joseph R. Bertino, MD
Heidi Dieter
Robert E. Fischer
Barbara Freundlich
Jerry Freundlich
Thomas L. Harrison
Nancy Januszewski
Marie L. Matthews
George Ntim
Steven J. Prince
Leonard M. Rosen
Michael Werner
EDITORIAL BOARD
Managing Editor: Jennifer Mills, LMSW, MPH
Content Editor: Carolyn Bell, MSW
Design Editor: Brian Tomlinson, MPA, BSW
Design: cobaltdesigngroup.com
Contact LRF
8800 Venice Boulevard, Suite 207
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Telephone (310) 204-7040
(800) 500-9976 Fax (310) 204-7043
115 Broadway, 13th Floor
New York, NY 10006
Telephone (212) 349-2910
(800) 235-6848 Fax (212) 349-2886
Email: LRF@lymphoma.org
Website: www.lymphoma.org
Lymphoma Today is published by the Lymphoma Research
Foundation for the purpose of informing and educating our
readers about lymphoma and to keep them informed of
ongoing work and accomplishments of the Lymphoma Research
Foundation, with the ultimate goal of finding cures for lymphoma.
Because each person’s body and response to treatment is different,
no individual should indulge in self-diagnosis or embark upon any
course of medical treatment that is described in Lymphoma Today
without first consulting with his or her physician.
The Lymphoma Research Foundation is not responsible for the
medical care or treatment of any individual.
LRF News
What 2007 Ed Forum
Attendees Have Said
“I was extremely impressed with the
expertise of the presenters and the
whole flow of the conference. We could
not have been taken better care of.”
“The amount of information could
have been much more overwhelming
if it had not been cushioned by care
and attention.”
“The effort to provide contact with
others of similar diagnoses was
particularly appreciated!”
13th Annual
North American Educational
Forum on Lymphoma
“The selection of topics was representative of many patient concerns.”
“The breakout sessions on my type
of lymphoma were by far the most
valuable and connecting with fellow
patients. It was very hopeful.”
September 26 - 28, 2008
About the Ed Forum
The North American Educational Forum
on Lymphoma is the most comprehensive
lymphoma-specific educational conference
in North America! This 2½ day annual program provides people with lymphoma and
their loved ones with critical information
about making the best decisions on treatment
options, patient support issues and the latest
in lymphoma research.
New for 2008
Expanded Conference Structure: More
disease- and treatment-specific breakout
sessions, an expanded and new research
panel format, comprehensive clinical trials
education by disease type, special post-conference workshops and much more!
Expert Speaking Faculty: Hear a variety
of presentations and have your specific
questions answered by our expert speaking faculty comprised of over 25 lymphoma
specialists and patient support experts from
around the world.
Unrivaled Networking: Meet other people
with your same type of lymphoma from
around the world and exchange ideas and experiences. Networking opportunities include:
welcome reception, meals, extended breaks
and disease-specific breakout sessions.
Intensive
Special
Post-Conference
Workshops: Following the conclusion of
the program with lunch on Sunday, LRF
and partners will offer the opportunity to
learn more about one of three topics. These
two hour topic-specific sessions will cover a
range of concepts and include perspectives
from multiple speakers.
“The program was well done…all staff
and speakers worked seamlessly with
a good discussion between speakers
and audience. Thank you!”
“Program provided me with helpful
info in understanding my lymphoma.”
“This was great for our needs.”
“Very good how you helped attendees
interact so often with fellow patients.
We were given very useful updates.”
Whether you are a first time
attendee or you have attended in
the past, you will not want to miss
this unique opportunity to learn
and network!
This year’s agenda will include
more disease-specific information
and special topics than ever before.
For more information or to register
Call: (800) 500-9976
Web: www.lymphoma.org/edforum2008
www.lymphoma.org 3
Clinical Trials
Clinical Trials Open for Patients
with Rare Lymphomas
RESEARCH STUDY
Have You Had a Bone Marrow
or Stem Cell Transplant?
We are looking for people who:
• Had a transplant between 9 months and
2 years ago
• Are living with their disease or free of
disease after a successful transplant
•Are at least 18 years old (and at least 16
years old at the time of transplant)
•Speak English
•Have telephone service
If you answered yes to each of these questions, you may be eligible to join a study
that will test a program designed to help
people experiencing problems and concerns
reported by some people who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplant for
treatment of cancer and related diseases. To
determine whether you are eligible to join
the study, you will be asked to complete a
20 minute telephone screening interview
that includes questions about your background and your thoughts and feelings
about your illness and transplant.
If you are found to be eligible and if you
decide to join the study, you will complete
study procedures from your home, directed
by a study staff member. The study includes
two telephone interviews, spaced over
about 4 months. One will take about 45
minutes and the other will take about 60
minutes. Between the two interviews you
will be asked to complete four 30-minute
study sessions that involve writing about
various topics. You will be compensated for
your time.
To hear more about this study, contact
Lisa Wu at (212) 659-5586 or lisa.wu@
mssm.edu.
This study is being conducted at Mount
Sinai School of Medicine and is funded by
the American Cancer Society. It has been
approved by the Mount Sinai Institutional
Review Board (GCO# 06-0391 approved
through 9/17/08).
4 Lymphoma Today
Talk to a Trained
Helpline
Staff Member
Darinaparsin for Lymphoma
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. is sponsoring
a Phase II clinical study that administers
the new investigational cancer therapeutic
darinaparsin to patients diagnosed with
non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Darinaparsin is a
type of organic arsenic. Ideas for modern
chemotherapy came from early 20th century studies of arsenic. For example, in the
early 1930s, inorganic arsenic was used to
treat chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)
and resulted in dramatic effects—but also
some serious side effects. Unlike inorganic
arsenic, preclinical studies indicate that
there are relatively few serious toxicities
associated with organic arsenics such as
darinaparsin.
Clinical Study #SGL2003 is currently enrolling patients diagnosed with non-Hodgkin
lymphoma. To qualify for enrollment, patients must be over 18 years old and have
received at least one prior therapy for their
lymphoma. Patients who are allergic to arsenic, have had certain heart problems (such
as congestive heart failure or arrhythmia)
within the last 6 months, have uncontrolled
infection, poorly controlled seizures, neurological deficits, confusion, or dementia
would not be eligible to participate.
Previous studies with darinaparsin in
patients with lymphoma and other tumors
indicate that this investigational drug is
generally well tolerated. Mild to moderate
side effects that have been associated with
this drug in lymphoma patients include
fatigue, nausea, and dizziness, amongst
others. More serious but rare episodes that
may have been related include wheezing, fever with a low white blood count, and fall.
Patients who are enrolled in this study
will receive darinaparsin infusions intravenously (into a vein) for five consecutive days
at approximately the same time each day.
The infusions will take approximately one
hour to administer. About 22 days after these
infusions, a new 5-day cycle of darinaparsin
Information on your diagnosis
(800) 500-9976
helpline@lymphoma.org
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm PST
treatment would begin. Patients may receive
up to six of these cycles.
In this study thus far, darinaparsin has
induced clinical responses in patients diagnosed with a number of different types of
lymphomas. For more information on this
study, go to www.clinicaltrials.gov or contact Jeffrey Davis, Clinical Trial Manager
via email at jdavis@ziopharm.com or telephone at (617) 259-1641.
XmAb2513 for Hodgkin
Lymphoma or Anaplastic
Large Cell Lymphoma
Xencor, Inc. is sponsoring a Phase I study of
XmAb2513 to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics in patients with
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) or anaplastic
large cell lymphoma. This is an open-label,
multi-dose, single-arm, Phase I dose escalation study of XmAb2513 to define the
maximum tolerated dose or recommended
dose(s) for further study, to determine
safety and tolerability, to characterize pharmacokinetcs and immunogenicity, and to
evaluate antitumor activity of XmAb2513
in patients with HL and anaplastic large
cell lymphoma (non-cutaneous). Eligible
patients will have Hodgkin lymphoma or
anaplastic large cell lymphoma (non-cutaneous) and will have received two or more
prior therapeutic regimens. There will be no
intra-patient dose escalation.
(continued on page 7)
Patient Programs
Patient Education Programs:
Helping People Affected by
Lymphoma Worldwide
T
he Lymphoma Research Foundation
(LRF) offers a comprehensive series
of in-person patient education programs and informational teleconferences
and webcasts/podcasts that provide upto-date information about the disease to
patients, survivors and loved ones worldwide. During 2007, LRF’s patient education
programs served 85 percent more people
than ever before in the Foundation’s history
and this growth trend continues in 2008.
To learn more about any of LRF’s patient
education and support programs, please
contact the Lymphoma Helpline at (800)
500-9976 or helpline@lymphoma.org.
Lymphoma Workshop:
Understanding Lymphoma
Basics and Current
Treatment Options
LRF hosted four Lymphoma Workshop
programs in Arizona, Seattle, Omaha
and Chicago. Two Lymphoma Workshop
programs are scheduled for Fall 2008Bloomington, MN and Brooklyn, NY.
These regional, full-day educational
programs provide information about
lymphoma, current treatment options
and patient support issues. Lymphoma
Workshop programs are sponsored by the
Lymphoma Research Foundation and supported through unrestricted educational
grants from: Genentech BioOncology/
Biogen Idec (National Presenting Sponsor),
Millennium Pharmaceuticals (National
Platinum Sponsor) and Merck Oncology
(National Gold Sponsor).
• Scottsdale, AZ—On Saturday, March
15, 2008, Thomas Miller, MD (Arizona
Cancer Center) chaired the Arizona
Lymphoma Workshop, which had nearly
400 people in attendance.
• Seattle, WA—On Saturday, May 10, 2008,
Oliver Press, MD, PhD (Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center) chaired the
Seattle Lymphoma Workshop, which
had over 250 people in attendance.
• Omaha, NE—On Saturday, June 21,
2008, Julie M. Vose, MD (University of
Nebraska Medical Center) chaired the
Nebraska Lymphoma Workshop, which
had 80 people in attendance.
• Chicago, IL—On Saturday, June 28,
2008, Leo I. Gordon, MD (Robert H.
Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of
Northwestern University) and Stephanie
A. Gregory, MD (Rush University
Medical Center) co-chaired the Chicago
Lymphoma Workshop, which had over
265 people in attendance.
Ask the Doctor
Almost 1,000 people have attended one of
LRF’s Ask the Doctor About Updates on
Lymphoma Treatment Options programs in
one of the following cities: Chicago, Dallas,
Fort Lauderdale,New Brunswick,Washington,
New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and
Phoenix. One additional program is scheduled
for Fall 2008- Minnesota. These two-hour
topic-specific programs combine a presentation by a leading lymphoma specialist with
an extensive question and answer session.
Ask the Doctor programs are held in collaboration with local chapters and are supported
through an unrestricted educational grant
from Millennium Pharmaceuticals (National
Presenting Sponsor).
Teleconferences
Teleconferences are hour-long interactive
telephone programs that provide an opportunity to learn more about lymphoma,
treatments and promising research from
a leading lymphoma expert. Over 1,200
people from around the world have already
participated in LRF’s teleconferences this
year. To access the archived versions or to
learn about upcoming teleconferences, visit
www.lymphoma.org/teleconferences.
• TreatmentUpdatesforCutaneousT-Cell
Lymphoma: Multidisciplinary Care On
April 16, 2008, LRF partnered with the
Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation and
CancerCare to present this teleconference featuring Pierluigi Porcu, MD (The
Ohio State University Comprehensive
Cancer Center), Larisa J. Geskin, MD,
FAAD (University of Pittsburgh School
of Medicine) and Kevin D. Cooper, MD
(University Hospitals Case Medical
Center). The topics discussed included:
an overview and diagnosis of cutaneous
T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), working with
dermatologists and oncologists to better manage care, symptom management
and quality-of-life considerations. This
teleconference was supported through
an unrestricted educational grant from
Merck Oncology.
• Updates on Chronic Lymphocytic
Leukemia/ Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL/SLL) Part I: Overview and
Treatment Options On June 26, 2008,
LRF partnered with the CLL Information
Group and CancerCare to present this
teleconference featuring Michael Keating,
MB, BS (MD Anderson Cancer Center)
and Thomas Kipps, MD, PhD (University
of California San Diego, Moores Cancer
Center). The topics discussed included:
an overview of CLL/SLL and treatment
options. The second part of this series
was held on July 24, 2008. This teleconference series was supported through
an unrestricted educational grant from
Cephalon Oncology.
Webcasts/Podcasts
More than 7,500 lymphoma patients, survivors and loved ones have accessed LRF’s
webcast/podcast programs. This is more than
double the number of people who accessed
these programs last year. Topics include:
understanding lymphoma; disease-specific
information; research and treatment options;
patient/caregiver support; and, lymphoma in
your teens, twenties and thirties. There are
more than 35 webcasts/podcasts available by
visiting www.lymphoma.org/webcasts. n
www.lymphoma.org 5
Lymphoma Update
The Evolution of Hodgkin Lymphoma
Treatment: A Glance in the Past and
What’s Ahead (continued from page 1)
Besides radiation therapy, the 1960s and
‘70s also herald in the use of two other major advances in the treatment of Hodgkin
lymphoma: staging laparotomy, in which
the spleen is removed to determine early
or advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma,
and the use of combination chemotherapy
drugs to treat HL.
Records show that phase I clinical trials testing nitrogen mustard, a mustard gas
derivative, to treat terminally ill Hodgkin
eventually it became standard practice to give
both radiation therapy and chemotherapy to
all patients to try and cure the disease.
“The idea was to give systemic treatment even for early stage disease, and to
give radiation therapy to the areas that
might be at risk for recurrence. And in advanced disease, we began to add radiation
therapy, because we found that patients
who had been given chemotherapy only
were at particular risk for recurrence,” says
Dr. Straus. Whether radiation therapy in
addition to combination chemotherapy is
necessary in most patients is currently under investigation.
“One of the major challenges is trying to quickly and effectively explore
the wealth of possible new treatment options that are available. We have
far too few patients participating in clinical trials and we have many
more agents than we can expeditiously evaluate.”
lymphoma patients were being done as
early as 1948. “Some of the first work in
the development of chemotherapy was the
work with nitrogen mustard in the late ‘40s
in Hodgkin lymphoma and that’s what really launched the use of chemotherapy for
the treatment of cancer,” says Dr. Straus.
Later, researchers would experiment
with two combinations of chemotherapy
drugs, vinblastine and chlorambucil, to
treat Hodgkin lymphoma. But the major
advancement in the use of chemotherapy
to successfully treat Hodgkin lymphoma
was not realized until the mid-‘60s, when
the National Cancer Institute began investigating a combination of four chemotherapy
drugs: mustargen (nitrogen mustard), vincristine (oncovin), procarbazine and
prednisone (MOPP).
“Results from the MOPP trials showed a
dramatic improvement in patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma and that helped
launch the use of combination chemotherapy drugs in all cancers. Hodgkin lymphoma
and other lymphomas have really been the
model for combination chemotherapy in
medical oncology,” says Dr. Straus.
Although radiation therapy alone was
used initially to treat early stage Hodgkin
lymphoma and chemotherapy alone was
given to treat advanced stages of the disease,
6 Lymphoma Today
Refining Treatment
Even though MOPP was proving to be successful in treating Hodgkin lymphoma,
evidence also began appearing that it had the
potential to cause serious long-term health
consequences such as sterility and secondary
cancers and by the 1990s, MOPP was essentially replaced as a first-line treatment by a
less toxic, more effective regimen of adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblasine and decarbazine
(ABVD), which is still widely used today.
But better treatments were not the only
advancements being made in the care of
Hodgkin lymphoma patients. By the 1980s,
the practice of removing a patient’s spleen
to evaluate extent of disease was being
replaced with noninvasive imaging technology like computed tomography (CT) scans,
which can capture detailed images of internal organs and spot enlarged lymph nodes.
“There were several important changes
in the care of Hodgkin lymphoma patients
that occurred over the last 25 years,” says
Anas Younes, MD, Professor of Medicine
and director of Clinical and Translational
Research, at the Department of Lymphoma
and Myeloma at MD Anderson Cancer
Center in Houston. “The first one is we
don’t do surgical staging anymore, we only
do clinical staging based on CT scans and
bone marrow biopsies.”
Another major advancement in the care
of Hodgkin lymphoma patients, according to Dr. Younes, was a reduction in both
the amount of radiation given to treat the
cancer—from 45 gray to approximately 30
gray—and the amount of body radiated.
“The radiation field has shrunk significantly, and that was a very important change,”
says Dr. Younes. “Now the standard radiation field is what we call involved field
radiation therapy, which means that only
the involved node would get the radiation
therapy, whereas in the past, it used to be an
extended field in which even the uninvolved
nodal sites received radiation.”
Less exposure to radiation, says Dr.
Younes, may result in fewer late health effects
from the treatment, such as secondary cancers and heart disease, but it will be decades
before researchers know for sure. “Most of
the radiation-induced secondary cancers occur with prolonged follow-up, so we would
need 20 to 25 years of follow-up to do comparisons. The goal of these evolutionary
changes in treatment is to not only improve
the cure rate, but to also decrease treatmentrelated toxicities,” says Dr. Younes.
Improving Long-Term
Survivorship
Because Hodgkin lymphoma is commonly
diagnosed in young adults between the
ages of 15 and 35—nearly 10 percent to
15 percent of all cases of HL are diagnosed
in children and teenagers—developing
treatment protocols that reduce the possibility of long-term and late health effects
is especially welcome news to a population
potentially facing a lifetime of ongoing
medical care.
“When you’re dealing with individuals
who are 25 to 30 years of age, you’re looking
at 50 plus years of survival after treatment.
The expertise that goes into the management of Hodgkin lymphoma starts with the
pathologist making the correct diagnosis,
proceeds through the radiologist for staging
and then to the choices of chemotherapy
by the medical oncologist and the radiation therapy by the radiation oncologist,”
says Sandra Horning, MD, Professor of
Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford
Lymphoma Update
University Medical Center in California.
“And the rational for that is not only do
you want to cure Hodgkin lymphoma, because there are many ways to cure it, but
you want to accomplish the least complicated cure. That’s the goal.”
Participating in clinical trials, says Dr.
Horning, is one way to ensure that young
adults accomplish the goal of surviving
Hodgkin lymphoma with as few health
complications as possible. “When you participate in clinical trials by definition you’re
going to get the right staging studies, you’re
going to be under close surveillance and
you’re almost always going to get state-ofthe art therapy. Although about 80 percent
of children are treated under clinical trials,
the numbers plummet for young adults,”
says Dr. Horning.
Adhering to long-term follow-up medical
care to spot late effects and making lifestyle
changes to reduce health risks are another.“For
instance, secondary lung cancer essentially
doesn’t occur without smoking as a co-factor
and it’s really important that survivors reduce
cardiac risk factors. Having normal blood
pressure, good cholesterol and weight control
and exercise are important goals for Hodgkin
survivors,” says Dr. Horning.
A Look Ahead
Even though Hodgkin lymphoma is highly
curable with current available treatment—
between 80 percent and 95 percent of
patients are cured of their disease—numerous clinical trials are underway to find safer,
more effective treatments in both the frontline and relapsed setting.
“There are promising monoclonal antibodies targeting CD30 and CD40 like
SGN-35 and SGN-40, some of which are
already in phase I and phase II trials,” says
Dr. Younes. Rituximab (Rituxan), a monoclonal antibody targeting CD20 and widely
used to treat several types of B-cell nonHodgkin lymphoma, is being studied in
clinical trials in patients with the rarer form
of Hodgkin lymphoma, lymphocyte predominate Hodgkin lymphoma. Rituximab
is also being added to the ABVD regimen in the treatment of classical Hodgkin
lymphoma in clinical trials, “because we
feel that rituximab can deplete reactive B
lymphocytes in the microenvironment and
make the cancer cells more susceptible to
chemotherapy,” says Dr. Younes. There are
also small molecule agents being tested
in Hodgkin lymphoma, including several
histone deacetylase inhibitors such as
MGCD0103, vorinostat (SAHA), LBH589;
mTOR inhibitors, including RAD001
(everolimus) and CC1779 (temsirolimus);
the immunomodulatory agent lenalidomide
(Revlimid); and JAK2 inhibitors.
Some of these small molecules are already in clinical trials and early results have
demonstrated promising clinical activity.
“Future trials will incorporate several small
molecules and monoclonal antibodies to
improve the efficacy of this new approach,”
says Dr. Younes.
Clinical trials are also being planned to
determine whether PET scans can be used
to measure chemotherapy effectiveness during treatment. “I’m drafting a new study
that will look at the response during treatment as measured by PET scans. So a more
intensive approach will be given for those
whose scans are positive and a less intensive approach will be given to those who
are PET negative during treatment,” says
Dr. Straus.
If history is a lesson of things to come,
the future is looking very bright for continued advances in the treatment of Hodgkin
lymphoma and—as history has shown—
that bodes well for other cancers too. n
Clinical Trials Open for Patients with Rare
Lymphomas (continued from page 4)
XmAb2513 is a humanized monoclonal
antibody that targets the antigen CD30, a
molecule expressed on the surface of a number of tumor cell types. XmAb2513 has been
engineered to contain an XmAbFc domain
to greatly increase its cytotoxic potency.
XmAb2513 shows superior activity in recruiting primary human immune cells to kill
tumor cells in in vitro models and is active
in blocking tumor growth in rodent models.
XmAb2513 was humanized with Xencor’s
XmAbFv technology and was well-tolerated
Find More
Information on
Hodgkin Lymphoma
W
hether you were diagnosed
recently or are a long-term
survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma,
LRF is here to help. The following
resources may be accessed by
visiting www.lymphoma.org or
calling (800) 500-9976:
Understanding Hodgkin Lymphoma:
A Guide for Patients
(This booklet is currently being
revised. The new edition will include
updated information on survivorship
and long-term care issues).
Hodgkin Lymphoma Fact Sheet
Webcast on Hodgkin Lymphoma
The 2008 North American Educational
Forum on Lymphoma, featured on
page three, will include two separate
sessions on Hodgkin lymphoma. The
second session will focus specifically
on long-term and late effects of
the disease. For more information,
please visit www.lymphoma.org/
edforum2008.
in primate models. XmAb2513 is readily
manufactured using standard monoclonal
antibody production methods.
Treatment is given every two weeks for
four doses. Patients with a complete response, partial response, or stable disease
may continue until disease progression or
a max of 8 doses. All patients will complete
three months of follow-up.
For more information, contact Xencor,
Inc. Jeff Bloss, MD at (626) 737-8054 or
jbloss@xencor.com or Rolando Enoch, MS
at (626) 737-8072 or renoch@xencor.com.
Please refer to ClinicalTrials.gov identifier
NCT00606645. n
www.lymphoma.org 7
Research
Shaping the
Next Generation of
Lymphoma Researchers
L
These two-year fellowships help attract the
best scientific talent to careers in lymphoma
and allow them to pursue promising leads
under the guidance of a sponsor.
Brook. She received an MS in Molecular
Biology and Genetics as well as a PhD in
Cellular and Molecular Biology at Masaryk
University in Brno, Czech Republic. Dr.
Nemajerova is investigating whether p73,
a gene that is silenced or completely lost in
many B-cell lymphomas/leukemias, is an important tumor suppressor and DNA stability
factor in B-cell lymphomas. She hypothesizes that B-cells deficient in p73 are prone to
DNA damage and rearrangements, resulting
in the development of lymphoma.
Hudan Liu, MS, PhD
Patrick Ng, PhD
Dr. Liu is a postdoctoral researcher in the
Department of Pathology and Laboratory
Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
She received a PhD in Cell and
Developmental Biology from Rutgers, State
University of New Jersey in Piscataway, NJ.
Dr. Liu is examining the mechanisms behind
the abnormal activation of the Notch1 gene
and how this influences the development
of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/
lymphoma (T-ALL). She hopes these findings will identify new targets against which
drugs can be developed.
Dr. Ng is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow
in the Division of Oncology at Stanford
University Medical School in Stanford, CA.
He earned a BA in Molecular Cell Biology
at the University of California, Berkeley and
a PhD in Immunology at the University of
California, Los Angeles. The ultimate goal
of the project is to use a patient’s own cells
to develop “custom made” fusion proteins
that, when injected back into the patient,
will “educate” the immune system to mount
a natural attack against the cancer, while
sparing normal tissue. Dr. Ng is currently
working with animal models.
RF is pleased to announce our latest
grantees. These awardees were selected
by LRF’s Scientific Advisory Board and
represent some of the brightest young talent
to emerge in the field of lymphoma research.
2008 Post-Doctoral
Fellowships
Alice Nemajerova, PhD
Dr. Nemajerova is a Postdoctoral Research
Associate in the Department of Pathology at
the State University of New York at Stony
Hudan Liu, MS, PhD
8 Lymphoma Today
Steven Park, MD
Dr. Park is a Clinical Research Fellow at the
University of Washington Medical Center
Alice Nemajerova, PhD
Patrick Ng, PhD
and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center in Seattle, WA. He earned a BA in
Integrative Biology from the University of
California, Berkeley and an MD from the
University of California, Davis. Dr. Park
is developing a new method to deliver
potentially curative doses of radiation to
lymphoma cells (also known as radioimmunotherapy or RIT) while minimizing
radiation exposures to normal organs. He
believes that this novel system will produce
excellent outcomes while limiting toxicity.
Christian Steidl, MD
Dr. Steidl is a Research Fellow in the
Department of Pathology at the British
Columbia Cancer Agency in Vancouver,
Canada working with Dr. Randy Gascoyne.
He received an MD from Westfalische
Steven Park, MD
Christian Steidl, MD
Research
Previous Fellows
Reflect on LRF’s Impact
on Their Careers
Wilhelms University and a PhD equivalent in pathology from Witten-Herdecke
University in Germany. Dr. Steidl will be
examining purified malignant and non-malignant cells from Hodgkin affected lymph
node tissues by a variety of high-resolution
genetic analyses and correlating the findings
with treatment outcomes in a large number of cases. The results will help identify
patients unlikely to succeed with standard
therapy and make them candidates for innovative, alternative treatment options.
Jing Yang, PhD
Dr. Yang is a postdoctoral fellow in the
Division of Cancer Medicine at the MD
Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.
She received a PhD in molecular biology
from Xiangya Medical School, Central
South University in Changsha, China.
Jing Yang, PhD
Brian Till, MD
Dr. Yang recently created novel antibodies (human ß2-microglobulin monoclonal
antibodies) capable of killing mantle cell
lymphoma cells in the laboratory and
mouse models. Dr. Yang will examine the
biological pathways in which these antibodies cause cell death in mouse models
and develop strategies for improving their
effectiveness as cancer therapies.
2008 Career Development
Award
This three-year program funds training of
clinicians who will participate in developing new therapeutics and diagnostic tools
for lymphoma.
Brian Till, MD
Dr. Till is a Senior Fellow in Medical
Oncology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center and University of
Washington in Seattle, WA. He received a
BS in Biology from the Catholic University
of America in Washington, DC and an MD
from The University of Chicago in Chicago,
IL. Dr. Till is testing a new treatment for
non-Hodgkin lymphoma which involves
genetically engineering a patient’s T-cells
to help them recognize and kill lymphoma
cells. He will also be exploring ways to
make these methods more effective. n
Beyond the grant period, the Lymphoma
Research Foundation (LRF) continues
to follow the careers of its fellows over
time. Many cite their support from LRF
as the pivotal point in their training that
solidified their commitment to lymphoma
and provided critical resources to ignite
their research and leadership careers
in a competitive environment. Based
on data collected earlier this year,
eighty-one percent of former LRF
fellows enter academia, 12 percent
work for industry and 7 percent practice
in a private office. Here is what a few
former fellows had to say when asked
to discuss how the fellowship LRF
provided contributed to their career:
“LRF provided me with my first grant
support as a Fellow. I now have an independent research laboratory for over 20
investigators. Former trainees from my
laboratory are now pursuing research in
their own laboratories.”
Dean W. Felsher, MD, PhD
Stanford University
“It gave a jump start to my professional
career as a research scientist, and an
educator. It helped me in achieving my
first faculty position (Assistant Professor)
in the University where I worked as a post
doctoral research associate.”
Bhavana J. Dave, PhD
University of Nebraska Medical Center
“Prior to coming to the US, I had experience exclusively as a clinician devoted to
medical oncology. The fellowship funded
my initial translational research in a US
gene therapy lab, and critically enabled my
career as a physician-scientist with a focus
on clinical trials of innovative biological
therapies. A decade later, I am fully committed to this career path that the LRF
supported when I needed it most.”
Jesus Gomez-Navarro, MD
Pfizer Global Research and Development
www.lymphoma.org 9
Public Policy & Advocacy
Lymphoma Research Tops
LRF Policy Agenda
Volunteers Urged to Advocate for
Cancer Research Funding
F
ederal investment in medical research remains a high priority for
the Lymphoma Research Foundation
(LRF) in 2008. Great scientific and medical breakthroughs have been developed
for a variety of chronic diseases, including
lymphoma, through the federal National
Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National
Cancer Institute (NCI). Despite doubling
the NIH budget between 1998 and 2003,
policy makers in Washington, DC now
threaten the progress made by NIH during
this time period by proposing insufficient
funding for the Institutes.
The budget proposed by the President,
by failing to keep pace with inflation,
would reduce the number of scientists and
researchers working to identify new treatments and cures for chronic illness, and in
turn affect the millions of patients who rely
on these innovative therapies. The Senate
has taken an initial step toward providing a significant boost in NIH funding in
FY 2009, but strong and sustained effort
will be required to see substantial funding increases in the final spending bill. The
Foundation supports a 6.5 percent increase
to the NIH budget, which would bring it to
a total of over $30 billion.
By visiting the Public Policy section of the website, members of the
lymphoma community can send letters directly to their legislators,
making sure their voice is heard.
LRF advocates can play a significant
role in supporting the government’s commitment to cancer research by contacting
their legislators and urging them to support funding increases for NIH and NCI.
Template letters and talking points are
available on the LRF website for advocates
and volunteers to use when reaching out to
legislators about this critical issue. By visiting the Public Policy section of the website,
members of the lymphoma community
NJ Advocacy: Utilizing the Power
of My Lymphoma Experience
By Nancy Januszewski, NJ Advocacy Chair and LRF Board Member
L
ymphoma is the best thing that ever
happened to me. Well… not exactly;
however, enduring the most difficult
challenge of my life has certainly enhanced
my personal and spiritual growth. My lymphoma experience, first as a patient and
now as a survivor, continually reminds me
that anything is possible and we can in fact
change the world.
After I completed my treatment, I was
determined to use my personal experience
as an American living with cancer to help
10 Lymphoma Today
can send letters directly to their legislators,
making sure their voice is heard.
Another important policy initiative supported by LRF is the creation of a blood
cancer research program with in the
Congressionally Directed Medical Research
Programs (CDMRP), located in the
Department of Defense. For the past eight
years, LRF and the blood cancer community have proposed that Congress expand
the CDMRP to include a blood cancer effort. The Lymphoma Research Foundation
is again urging Congress to provide $10
million in FY 2009 to fund a full range of
blood cancer research. In March 2008, LRF
improve the lives of others struggling with
a lymphoma diagnosis. In this quest, I
learned that as advocates, the entire lymphoma community has a crucial role to
play in conquering this disease.
My participation in the Scientist<>Survivor Program of the American
Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
helped me to understand the unique power
my lymphoma experience provides me.
This April, I had the privilege of participating for a third time in this enriching
advocates sent over 400 letters to members
of the United States Senate, urging them
to support this initiative. As a result, over
twenty Senators signed a letter supporting
the blood cancer research program, more
than double the number of legislators who
supported the effort last year.
To learn more about the legislation mentioned in this article, or to view all of LRF’s
2008 policy priorities, visit the Public Policy
section of the LRF website. n
program at the AACR annual meeting.
The program exposes patient and survivor
advocates to cutting-edge research and
broadens our understanding of the fundamental topics in cancer research. Just as
importantly, this program fosters collaboration between the scientific and advocacy
communities.
The most profound aspect of my participation in this year’s program was
what I learned from the diverse group of
participants from around the world who
represented a wide range of cancer advocacy organizations. Their experiences
raised my awareness of cultural, geographical and economic barriers to cancer
care of which I was unaware. It is vital to
Development
Friends For The Cure &
The 2008 Summer Solstice
F
riends For the Cure (Friends) is a group
of people who come together throughout the year to contribute their time
and talents to raise money and awareness
for the Lymphoma Research Foundation.
On June 25, 2008 the Friends Committee
welcomed over 350 people to the Summer
Solstice Benefit at the Charles Nolan Studio
in New York City. A fantastic success, the
event raised over $58,000 this year, which is
a 60 percent increase from 2007. We would
like to extend our heartfelt thank you to
everyone who contributed to the Summer
Friends Committee members (left to right):
Jessica Kleiman, Zhanna Segal, Natalie Bloom,
and Corinne Kotler
share our experiences and perspectives
in order to accurately and completely
identify the challenges and opportunities in our conquest of cancer.
That is why, when others ask me
what we can do with the lymphoma
experience we have in our backpacks,
I tell them that we can use what we
have learned to help others and one
another. Collectively, we have the
power to make a difference and ultimately find a cure for lymphoma.
To learn more about Nancy’s experience at this year’s AACR Annual
Meeting, please visit the Public Policy
section of the LRF website at www.
lymphoma.org.
Natalie Bloom
, Event Chair &
Michael Glassm
LRF supporte
an,
r
Samantha Shanken Baker and Jennifer Leary of
Wine Spectator Magazine
Solstice and offer our congratulations to the
Committee for an amazing job well done.
The evening was held in a beautiful loft
like space, offering great views and fun music. Guests enjoyed cocktails from Bombay
Sapphire, wine from Cupcake Vineyard and
Kenwood Vineyard, champagne from Perrier
Jouet and ice cold Samuel Adams beer. Guests
had the opportunity to bid on great silent auction packages or purchase raffle tickets for the
chance to win a prize—all while enjoying the
company of other young professionals, LRF
supporters and volunteers.
We would like to thank our Event Sponsor
Diamond Carter Trading, our Solar Sponsor
Hearst Magazines and our Terrestrial
Sponsor Richards Capital Management. We
would also like to say a special thank you to
Wine Spectator for their continuous support
of the Lymphoma Research Foundation and
the many fundraising events hosted throughout the year. We would also like to thank
the following in kind donors who provided
the delicious desserts—Godiva, Magnolia
Bakery, Crumbs Bakery, Garrett’s Popcorn,
l.a.s.t. bite, Ciao Bella Gelato—as well as
all of the individuals who donated silent
auction or raffle prizes.
The success of this event would not
have been possible without the hard work
and commitment from our Committee. This
year’s event chair, Natalie Bloom, said that
she “was so proud to be involved with planning the Summer Solstice Benefit because
the end result was amazing. Small collective
actions yield big results and everyone who
contributed to this event has played their
part to help find a cure for lymphoma.”
John Diamond and friends from Diamond Carter
Trading, Event Sponsor
Andy Madoff, Chairman and CEO of
LRF’s Board of Directors, became involved
with LRF through various volunteer capacities four years ago. When told about
the success of the benefit Andy said, “thank
you to everyone who participated in this
event. It’s wonderful to see so many young
professionals tirelessly working on and
supporting this very important cause. The
young professionals who are currently involved with LRF could potentially be the
future leaders of the Foundation.”
To view photos of the event, please
visit www.lymphoma.org and click on the
Programs & Events tab. For more information about Friends For the Cure or the 2008
Summer Solstice, please contact Taylor
Zitay at tzitay@lymphoma.org or (646)
465-9103. n
www.lymphoma.org 11
Chapters
Lymphoma Events
Increase Awareness
and Raise Funds for
Research & Programming
Lymphomathons
Break New Records
E
very year, volunteers from around
the country gather together in big
cities and small communities to raise
awareness and funds for lymphoma research through the Lymphoma Research
Foundation’s (LRF) Lymphomathon program. These non-competitive 5Ks are fun
for the whole family. LRF expresses its
heartfelt appreciation to all those who contributed to the first eight walks in 2008.
South Florida
Date: March 2, 2008
Amount Raised: $33,000
Walk Co-Chairs:
Donna and Jerry Kaplan
Dallas
Date: April 26, 2008
Amount Raised: $96,000—with
the additional funds anticipated,
they are expected to join the
“$100,000 Club”
Walk Chair: Steve Phillips, PhD
12 Lymphoma Today
New York City
Date: April 26, 2008
Amount Raised: $241,000
New Jersey
Date: May 4, 2008
Amount Raised: $168,000
Walk Chair: Patty Oswald
Michigan
Date: April 26, 2008
Amount Raised: $32,000
Volunteer Committee: Doug La
Rowe, Milt and Bridgett Ezzard,
Maureen Fernandez, Emily
Chartow and Vernice Woolen
Minnesota
Date: June 7, 2008
Amount Raised: $118,000
Walk Co-Chairs: Alex and
Jane Gohar
Chapters
Lymphomathons
March 2 4
Delray Beach, FL
April 26 4
Belleville, MI
April 26 4
Dallas, TX
April 26 4
New York, NY
May 4
West Windsor, NJ
4
June 7 4
Minneapolis, MN
June 8 4
Seattle, WA
June 8 4
San Francisco, CA
August 24 Chicago, IL
September 13 Little Rock, AR
September 20 Philadelphia, PA
October 18 Stamford, CT
November 2 Roxbury, NJ
November 9 Phoenix, AZ
Save
the
Date
San Francisco
Date: June 8, 2008
Amount Raised: $90,000
Walk Chair: Geoffrey Williams
The Lymphoma Research
Foundation (LRF) and
event co-chairs Bruce Cheson, MD
and Christine Cheson, invite you to
participate in a unique opportunity
in the DC area.
Seattle
Date: June 8, 2008
Amount Raised: $30,000
Walk Chair: Christina Long
Committee Members: Tim and
Terri McLean, Nancy Press and
Daniel Suk
November 15 Irvine, CA
4 completed
LRF Announces Two
New Chapter Affiliates
Tucson Affiliate
Northern New Jersey Affiliate
Dawn Kulesa recalls being diagnosed with
an indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma on
June 5, 2007 and wondering, like many others, “how could this happen to me?” Nancy
Januszewski’s story on LRF’s website immediately appealed to her. Through LRF’s
Lymphoma Support Network she and
Nancy connected. “I was the true recipient
of all of LRF’s goodness,” says Dawn and
“now I want to take action and help others.”
In March 2008, while attending the Arizona
Lymphoma Workshop in the Scottsdale
area, Dawn was in awe of the quality of experts who dedicated their Saturday to the
program and the entire room of survivors.
She decided to take the next step and spearhead the Arizona Chapter’s establishment
of a Tucson Affiliate. For more information and to get involved, please visit www.
lymphoma.org/arizona.
The Lymphoma Research Foundation’s
(LRF) New Jersey Chapter is pleased to
welcome its first affiliate in Northern New
Jersey. Karen Dorne first became involved
with the New Jersey Chapter four years
ago, following her son’s diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma at the age of
31. Her commitment to enabling LRF to
achieve its mission expands throughout
New Jersey and beyond. She currently
serves on the Board of Directors of the
New Jersey Chapter, is the President of the
Northern New Jersey Affiliate and hosts
third party events, such as the annual
Lymphoma Tennis Tea Party. The Affiliate
plans to host its first Lymphomathon on
November 2, 2008. For more information
or to join them in the quest to achieve
LRF’s mission, please visit www.lymphoma.org/newjersey. n
The Second Annual Lymphoma
Research Ride will take place on
Sunday, September 21, 2008 in
Montgomery County, MD. Registration will begin at 8:00 AM and the
ride will officially start at 9:00 AM.
Event co-chair, Dr. Cheson, is a
world-renowned scientist, Professor
of Medicine, Head of Hematology and
Director of Hematology Research at
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer
Center at Georgetown University
Hospital. As chair-elect of LRF’s
Scientific Advisory Board, Dr. Cheson
knows first hand how every dollar
raised helps move scientists one
step closer to finding a cure!
Three Easy Ways to Find Out More
Web: www.lymphoma.org/ride2008
E-mail: ride@lymphoma.org
Call: (800) 235-6848
LRF would like to extend its sincere
gratitude to this year’s sponsors:
Platinum—Genentech BioOncology/
Biogen Idec
Gold—Cephalon Oncology, Celgene
and M&T Bank
Silver—BB & T and Millennium
Pharmaceuticals
Other Proud Sponsors—The
Barnesville School, Cannondale,
Comcast and Washingtonian.
www.lymphoma.org 13
Development
Tom Condon welcomes everyone.
Children sell hand made goods and donate proceeds to LRF.
Golfers Enjoy a Fun Family Day
in Sunny California
T
he Second Annual Condon Family &
Friends Charity Golf Classic was held
on April 26, 2008 in Santa Barbara,
CA. The day started out with a golf tournament, followed by a cocktail hour and dinner
where the golfers were joined by family members, friends and neighbors who all came out to
support LRF. The event raised almost $80,000,
bringing the two year total to over $160,000!
We would like to express our appreciation to
everyone who participated or volunteered their
time. Thank you to our sponsors:
Eagle Sponsors: Employees of China
Pavilion, Ichiban Sushi and Pavilion Garden;
Lisa Lee and Peter Chen; The Condon Family
Foundation; and, Bobby Webb.
Birdie Sponsors: CKE Restaurants; DIANI;
Environmental Specialized Solutions, Inc.;
Enterprise Rent-A-Car; The Handtman
Family Foundation; Mike and Nancy
Harahan; Maps.com; Harlan Thompson
and Capital Guardian; and, Personal
Investment Management.
Happy Hour Sponsor: Brad & Alisa Haley.
We would especially like to thank all of
the children who sold hand made origami
and wine charms to golfers throughout the
day and generously donated the profits to
LRF.
“Our goal for the tournament was to
spread the word about lymphoma and garner support for LRF. We were so touched
by the positive response we received this
year and are greatly looking forward to another wonderful event in 2009,” said Tom
Condon, 2008 Golf Committee Member.
For more information about the Condon
Family & Friends Charity Golf Classic,
please contact Taylor Zitay at (646)
465-9103. n
Second Annual Luncheon
Offers Fashion and Fun!
T
he Second Annual Luncheon
Benefiting the Lymphoma Research
Foundation was held on March 17,
2008 at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca
Raton, FL. This year’s event raised over
$108,000 bringing the two year total to over
$215,000! Guests enjoyed presentations
by Suzanne Bliss, LRF President, Michael
Yudell, President of LRF’s Delaware Valley/
Philadelphia Chapter, and Errol Cook, former CEO & Chairman of LRF’s Board of
Directors, among others. Neiman Marcus
presented a runway show that brought the
latest in designer fashion trends and provided great entertainment for the 300 women
14 Lymphoma Today
in attendance, including chair of the event
Judy Bronsteen and co-chairs Elisabeth
Dalfen and Mitzi Oreman.
We would like to thank our sponsors—
Platinum Sponsors: Gladys Cook, Jane
& Martin Greenberg Foundation, Elaine
Sarnoff and a generous anonymous donor; Gold Sponsors: M.L. Marks, Chickie
Silver and Edith Stein. “Michael Yudell
was our inspiration for the very first
Luncheon last year and we look forward
to many more wonderful events in the
future,” said Judy Bronsteen. Please stay
tuned for information regarding the 2009
Luncheon. n
Mitzi Oreman, Judy Bronsteen & Elisabeth Dalfen
(left to right)
Jane Yudell, Mike Yudell, Jacqui Rick with daughter
Sophia (left to right)
Development
Love to Find a Cure Gala
Raises $44,000
Two days before Valentine’s Day, over 200
people gathered in the Twin Cities to experience delicious tastings of signature entrees
from ten top chefs at the Lymphoma Research
Foundation’s (LRF) Minnesota Chapter 2008
Love to Find a Cure. The event raised over
$44,000. Nick Olsen’s eight-year old daughter presented the first annual Minnesota
Inspiration Award to him in a moving speech
that left few dry eyes in the audience. A sincere thank you goes to local NBC anchors,
Diana Pierce and Pat Evans, for their energy
and dedication while serving as master
of ceremonies. The Twin Cities lymphoma
community and the local Minnesota Chapter
invite you to stay tuned for the 2009 date and
participate in what will undoubtedly be another stellar event. n
Chicago Golf Classic Postponed to September
Inclement weather postponed the Lymphoma Research Foundation’s Inaugural Chicago
Golf Classic. The new date for this exciting event is Monday, September 8, 2008. The
event will still be held at the Briarwood Country Club in Deerfield, IL, as originally
planned. Limited sponsorships and playing spots are still available. For more information or to get involved, please contact Jessica Simon at (312) 263-1616.
Your Donation to Lymphoma Research
Can Be Matched Dollar for Dollar
T
oday, your contribution, of any size,
can be doubled by giving to one of
the Lymphoma Research Foundation’s
(LRF) challenge grants. These grants are designed to enhance LRF’s ability to continue
funding cutting edge research in the areas
of follicular lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/ small lymphocytic
lymphoma (CLL/SLL). Details of each are
highlighted below. For more information or
to discuss these grants in more detail, please
contact LRF’s President, Suzanne Bliss, at
(800) 235-6848.
Werner Family Follicular
Lymphoma Research
Challenge Grant
If LRF is able to raise $3 million it will receive an additional $1 million towards its
Follicular Lymphoma Research Initiative.
Michael Werner, LRF Board of Directors
member and follicular lymphoma survivor, launched this challenge with his family
to contribute to promising research in the
treatment of the disease.
The Follicular Lymphoma Research
Initiative aims to develop novel therapeutic
strategies for the treatment of the disease
and your contribution can help fund research toward this goal.
Prince Family CLL/SLL
Lymphoma Research
Challenge Grant
Watching his father go through a CLL/SLL
diagnosis, treatment and death at a relatively
young age, Steve Prince made the commitment to join the fight against lymphoma.
One of his numerous initiatives includes
the Prince Family CLL/SLL Lymphoma
Research Challenge Grant, in which his
family commits to supporting translational
research targeting CLL/SLL by matching
every donation, dollar for dollar, up to
$1.5 million.
Why Support These
Challenge Grants?
• L
RF’s research program is governed by
45 world-renowned lymphoma experts.
• All grants submitted to the Foundation
undergo a rigorous peer-review selection process and awards are highly
competitive.
• A
t the present time, neither follicular
lymphoma nor CLL/SLL are curable.
• 85 cents of every dollar spent at LRF
goes to research and programming.
• Advances made in these disease may
unlock mysteries in other types of lymphoma and beyond to other cancers.
Until We Find a Cure—
LRF is Here to Help You
Numerous resources exist to provide education and support to patients, survivors and
loved ones affected by lymphoma. Specific
resources on follicular lymphoma and CLL/
SLL are highlighted below:
Follicular Lymphoma Visit www.lymphoma.org and click on “For Patients” to
access disease-specific fact sheets, webcasts
and other resources.
CLL/SLL Visit www.cllinfogroup.org for
up-to-date, accurate information specifically focused on CLL/SLL.
The trained public health and mental
health professionals on our Lymphoma
Helpline are here to help. Please call them
at (800) 500-9976 with any questions. n
www.lymphoma.org 15
Calendar
Lymphomathons
Fundraising Events
Patient Programs
March 2 4
Delray Beach, FL
April 26 4
Belleville, MI
April 26 4
Condon Family and Friends
Charity Golf Classic
Santa Barbara, CA
Lymphoma Workshops
May 10 4
Seattle, WA
April 26 4
Dallas, TX
April 26 4
New York, NY
May 4
West Windsor, NJ
4
June 7 4
Minneapolis, MN
June 8 4
Seattle, WA
June 8 4
San Francisco, CA
August 24 Chicago, IL
September 13 Little Rock, AR
September 20 Philadelphia, PA
October 18 Stamford, CT
June 21 4
Omaha, NE
June 28 4
Chicago, IL
June 25 4
Friends for the Cure event
New York, NY
October 18
Minneapolis, MN
November 8
New York, NY
August 4
Lymphoma Research Foundation
Annual Golf Classic
Greenwich, CT
Ask the Doctor About Lymphoma
March 26 4
Washington, DC
August 10
Falmouth Road Race
Falmouth, MA
September 8
Midwest Golf Classic
Briarwood Country Club
Deerfield, IL
April 16 4
New York, NY
April 23 4
Los Angeles, CA
May 14 4
Philadelphia, PA
June 14 4
Scottsdale, AZ
September
Minnesota
North American Educational Forum
on Lymphoma
September 26-28 San Francisco, CA
November 9 Phoenix, AZ
October 6
Lymphoma Research Foundation
Annual Gala
New York, NY
Teleconferences
April 16 4Cutaneous T-Cell
Lymphoma
November 15 Irvine, CA
4 event completed
July 24 4CLL/SLL: Part II
November 2 Roxbury, NJ
June 26 4CLL/SLL: Part I
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE
PAID
Lymphoma Research Foundation
115 Broadway, 13th Floor
New York, NY 10006
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
LRF is launching a new
follicular electronic newsletter!
Sign up at www.lymphoma.org
If you received more than one copy of Lymphoma Today,
kindly notify us at (800) 235-6848.
NEW YORK, NY
PERMIT #370