REFERENCE: Abstract: 163
FRANCIS GILES, M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
COMMENT: KEN KAUSHANSKY, University of California, San Diego
The T315-I mutation of BCR-ABL containing cells (which prevents patients with Philadelphia positive malignancy from responding to imatinib, dasatinib or nilotinib) can yield to treatment with the aurora kinase inhibitor: MK-0457. During the hematology conference in Orlando Frank Giles and Ken Kaushansky talked about new study data with Peter Goodwin and discussed the clinical implications.

REFERENCE: Abstract: 249
HEATHER LEITCH, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver
COMMENT: NANCY BERLINER, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven
Patients with myelodysplastic syndrome who receive iron chelation therapy to treat iron overload caused by continued blood transfusions do better than those who don’t and they survive longer. Sarah Maxwell heard from Heather Leitch and Nancy Berliner.

REFERENCE: Abstract: 207
CORRADO TARELLA, University of Turin
COMMENT: KEN KAUSHANSKY, University of California, San Diego
Rituximab added to high-dose therapy with auto-graft gave longer overall and disease free survival among patients with high-risk B-cell lymphoma as compared with those who had standard treatment alone. Sarah Maxwell questioned Corrado Tarella about his findings.

REFERENCE: Abstract: 795
VINCENT RAJKUMAR, Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
COMMENT: ROBERT KYLE, Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
The combination of thalidomide with dexamethasone was endorsed during the Orlando conference as front-line therapy for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma by Vincent Rajkumar, who presented results from a study randomizing patients to dexamethasone with or without thalidomide. Peter Goodwin asked him about the study data, which he discussed with Robert Kyle who commented also on the emerging role of lenalidomide.