Tag: cancer treatment

A Road Map for Discovery and Translation in Lymphoma

In August 2014 the American Society of Hematology (ASH) organized the inaugural Meeting on Lymphoma Biology. The meeting’s Steering Committee was tasked with recommending a road map for future priorities in lymphoma discovery and translation. After identifying roadblocks that limit research they made recommendations on how to supersede them in the future. According to their recommendations:

The road map is based on the fundamental goal of extending effective treatment to all patients with lymphoma. Achieving that goal with maximum efficiency and expedience will require a broad and collaborative effort between researchers, patients, funding agencies, pharma, and advocacy groups.

Among the members of the distinguished committee, Weill Cornell Medical College was represented by Lymphoma Program Director, Dr. John P. Leonard and Dr. Ari Melnick, Chair of the Hematologic Malignancies Program at the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center.

New Clinical Trial: Phase 3 Study of Ibrutinib in Combination with Either Bendamustine and Rituximab or R-CHOP in Subjects with Previously Treated Indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

The Weill Cornell Lymphoma Program has recently opened a new clinical trial for men and women with follicular and marginal zone lymphoma. The study sponsor is Janssen Research & Development LLC., and the principal investigator at Weill Cornell is Peter Martin, M.D.. For more information about the study, please call Amelyn Rodgriguez, RN at (212) 746-1362 or e-mail Amelyn at amr2017@med.cornell.edu.

Key Eligibility

  • Open to men and women age 18 and older.
  • Follicular or Marginal Zone, non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
  • Relapsed or Refractory after receiving at least one prior chemotherapy regimen.
  • At least one site of measurable disease.
  • Detailed eligibility reviewed when you contact the study team.

Study Details 

This clinical trial is for men and women with follicular or marginal zone lymphoma who have been previously treated.

The purpose of this study is to compare whether adding ibrutinib to the standard chemotherapy options for this population bendamustine/rituximab (BR) or R-CHOP result in a longer progression-free survival than BR or R-CHOP alone.

The type of chemotherapy received will be dependent on refractory versus relapsed disease, type of indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and number of prior lines of therapy.

All participants will be randomized in a one to one ratio to receive the study drug, ibrutinib, or placebo.

Randomization arms: This study is comparing BR or R-CHOP in combination with ibrutinib or placebo. This is a double blind study so neither the patient or the physician will know if you’re receiving the study medication, ibrutinib or placebo. Placebo is a blank pill that will look similar to ibrutinib but contains no medicine. The physicians will decide whether patients will receive BR or R-CHOP chemotherapy depending on prior treatments.

Patients will receive the standard 6 cycles of BR or R-CHOP and will continue taking ibrutinib or placebo as long as they are responding to therapy and not experiencing unacceptable side effects.

New Clinical Trial: Phase 2 Study of High Dose Chemotherapy with Autologous Stem Cell Transplant followed by Maintenance Therapy with Romidepsin for the Treatment of T-cell Lymphoma

The Weill Cornell Lymphoma Program has recently opened a new clinical trial for men and women with T-cell lymphoma. The study sponsor is Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and the principal investigator at Weill Cornell is Jia Ruan, M.D., Ph.D.. For more information about the study, please call Amelyn Rodgriguez, RN at (212) 746-1362 or e-mail Amelyn at amr2017@med.cornell.edu.

Key Eligibility

  • Men and women age 16 and older.
  • T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
  • Complete or partial response to prior therapy.
  • Eligible for stem cell transplant.
  • No prior autologous or allogenic transplant.

Study Details

This clinical trial is for men and women with T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The purpose of the study is to test the benefit of a chemotherapy drug called romidepsin in men and women who have undergone autologous stem cell transplant.

Romidepsin has been FDA-approved for treating relapsed T-cell lymphoma. It is possible that in people who are at risk of their disease coming back (relapse), romidepsin could be used to prevent or delay the T-cell lymphoma from returning. The study will determine if giving romidepsin after the autologous stem cell transplant is safe and will prevent or delay the T-cell lymphoma from returning.

Participants will receive high dose chemotherapy followed by the stem cell transplant. Between 42 and 80 days after the transplant, participants will receive their first dose of romidepsin via infusion. Participants will continue to receive romidepsin every other week until 1 year after the stem cell transplant. If a participant’s disease has not progressed 1 year after the transplant, he/she will continue on romidepsin for another year.