Hematologic Malignancies Conference

A few days ago, the 2015 Congress on Hematologic Malignancies took place in Miami, Florida. This isn't a conference like ASH or ASCO, where new, cutting-edge research is being presented for the first time. Instead, it's a gathering of clinical oncologists -- the folks who take care of us directly -- meeting up to get practical advice on how to help patients.

(They were probably also hoping to gather someplace warm to escape the horrible winter that has hit most of the U.S. Not too bad there -- high 60F is better than what most of them probably left behind them at home.)

It's a small gathering, with just a few sessions (compared to something like ASCO, especially), so there isn't a whole lot of news about it online. But OncLive has done interviews with the people who are presenting, and one of the interviews is with Dr. Myron Czuczman from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He presented on sequencing therapies for Follicular Lymphoma. In other words: we can assume most of us with FL will need a series of treatments. So which one do you do first, and what comes after that? And that?

Myron Czuczman, MD, chief of the Lymphoma/Myeloma Service and head of the Lymphoma Translational Research Laboratory at Roswell Park Cancer Institute - See more at: http://www.onclive.com/conference-coverage/hematology-2015/Sequencing-Therapies-in-Follicular-Lymphoma-Requires-Multifaceted-Approach#sthash.UmaeHZTC.dpuf

Myron Czuczman, MD, chief of the Lymphoma/Myeloma Service and head of the Lymphoma Translational Research Laboratory at Roswell Park Cancer Institute - See more at: http://www.onclive.com/conference-coverage/hematology-2015/Sequencing-Therapies-in-Follicular-Lymphoma-Requires-Multifaceted-Approach#sthash.UmaeHZTC.dpuf

The brief article doesn't go into too much detail, but I found it encouraging to know that oncologists are thinking carefully about the issue. And it was interesting to see, even in a general way, what some of the issues are that have to be considered. As Dr. Czuczman says, there is no recipe to follow -- at every step, there are choices to be made. That's good for all of us to remember. (It also makes things more complicated, of course.)

One other thing that Dr. Czuczman does point out is that the choice of treatments should consider side effects and quality of life. While he doesn't say it specifically, I think it's worth remembering that quality of life involves the emotional factor that comes with being a Follicular Lymphoma patient. Obviously, every cancer patient deals with emotions. But ours are a little bit different -- many of us have to decide if we will be willing to hold off on receiving treatment. That's above and beyond the other emotions that we have when we are diagnosed.

So, I hope everyone who attended the Congress had a good time, maybe warmed up a little, enjoyed some seafood, and learned something new about blood cancers.