Tag: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

New Weill Cornell Study: Aurora Kinase A Inhibitor MLN8237 in Peripheral T-Cell non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Update: this study is closed to enrollment. 
The Weill Cornell Lymphoma Program is now enrolling people in a new clinical trial for patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that generally has a poor outcome with conventional chemotherapy.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the experimental drug MLN8237 on patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma. MLN8237 is an Aurora Kinase A inhibitor that has been developed to interfere with cell division, which is required for cancer to grow. It has been shown to have anti-cancer activity in laboratory studies as well as in patients who have non-Hodgkin lymphoma including peripheral T-cell lymphoma in earlier phase I/II studies.

MLN8237 is available as a tablet. Patients will take MLN8237 on Days 1-7, twice a day with 8 ounces of water. Patients will continue with this treatment every 3 weeks for up to a year as long as their disease does not get worse. Whether patients remain on study treatment or not, the study physician will follow their health status for a maximum of 2 years from study enrollment.

Key eligibility:

  • Relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Must have received at least one course of prior systemic therapy which may include chemotherapy, antibody therapy or immunotherapy
  • May have received prior radiation in combination with systemic therapy
  • Must not have received a previous allogeneic stem cell transplant or be within 90 days of autologous stem cell transplant
  • Detailed eligibility reviewed when you contact the study team

For more information about the study, call June Greenberg, RN at (212) 746-2651 or email June at jdg2002@med.cornell.edu.

The physician leading the study at Weill Cornell is Dr. Jia Ruan. Click here to read Dr. Ruan’s clinical and research profile.

Click here to view all current lymphoma clinical trials at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Fertility and Lymphoma

By Rebecca Elstrom, MD and Glenn Schattman, MD

Dr. Elstrom is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College whose clinical and research interests focus on the treatment of patients with lymphoma. Dr. Schattman is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medical College, specializing in reproductive endocrinology/infertility.

Preservation of fertility is a major concern in many patients with lymphoma, as many patients are within their child-bearing years at diagnosis. Furthermore, many young patients with lymphoma have a significant chance of being cured, making consideration of quality of life issues after lymphoma a critical aspect of care.  Reliable data regarding the likelihood of infertility after chemotherapy however, have been difficult to come by.  While many women may regain their menstrual cycles and possibly fertility, premature ovarian failure (POF), or menopause before age 40, can shorten the window of potential child-bearing following cancer treatment. Unfortunately, most studies use resumption of menstrual bleeding as a measure of fertility, though it is not a reliable indicator.

These issues are particularly relevant to patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, as peak incidence occurs at approximately 20 years of age, and most patients, even those with advanced stage disease, are cured.  A paper recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology presented encouraging results for young women treated with ABVD chemotherapy, which is currently the standard approach in the United States.  This study reviewed the reproductive outcomes of a subset of female patients treated on clinical trials within the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), and found that women less than age 32 who were treated with non-alkylating chemotherapy (such as ABVD) had no increased risk of POF (overall incidence 3%, similar to women in the general population), whereas those older than 32 years had a moderately increased risk of POF (9%).  In contrast, women treated with alkylator-containing therapy, such as MOPP or BEACOPP, experienced a high rate of POF regardless of age, with an overall incidence of 60%.

Although this large cohort evaluation has shed light on the incidence and risk factors for POF in women with Hodgkin lymphoma, the data in women treated for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are less clear. Continue reading “Fertility and Lymphoma”

Weill Cornell Lymphoma and PTSD Study

By Regina Jacob, MD

Update: this study is closed to enrollment. 

Coping with Lymphoma to Enhance Adjustment and Reduce Stress in Survivors (CLEAR Stress) is a study being done here at the Weill Cornell Lymphoma Program that is looking at Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Post-traumatic Growth in patients diagnosed with Lymphoma (Non-Hodgkin’s, Hodgkin’s, or Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia). We are looking to see if we can find which patients are more likely to develop PTSD, which patients are more likely to develop Post-traumatic Growth, and we are also looking to see if there is a correlation between the two.

Participation consists of a one-time interview, which will be approximately 60-90 minutes and is given in survey form. This can be completed in-person, over the phone, via mail, or via internet-based surveys.

Click here for more details about the CLEAR Stress study.

Study Background

What do we know about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Cancer?

In a survey study done at Weill Cornell Medical College in 2008, it was found that up to 30% of all Lymphoma Survivors suffered from at least moderate symptoms of PTSD. This is important because PTSD can influence a survivor’s overall quality of life—contributing to both anxiety and depression that last long term. PTSD in the cancer population is not the same as the PTSD seen in war veterans—the stress is not discrete and there are more choices given to the cancer patient with regards to treatment options. Therefore, the treatments that have successfully enabled war veterans diagnosed with PTSD to rejoin society, do not work as effectively in cancer patients. As a result, physicians, nurses, social workers, and families try to prevent a cancer patient from developing PTSD.

What is Post-traumatic Growth?

Some people like to think of it as the opposite of PTSD, but it is a little more than that:  it usually involves all the positive changes a person goes through after a stressful encounter. Among cancer survivors, up to 90% of all cancer survivors report some degree of post-traumatic growth. The most common being: stronger relationships with friends/family, a newfound appreciation for life, a stronger sense of self, and a stronger sense of spirituality.

What is the relationship between PTSD and Post-traumatic Growth?

Thus far, there is a very little data about the correlation between Post-traumatic Growth and PTSD. Most physicians and psychologists believe that patients who demonstrate more Post-traumatic growth will also demonstrate less PTSD (which is very desirable since the treatments available for PTSD are not as effective in cancer patients). Ideally, if health care professionals can understand which patients are at a higher risk for developing PTSD, then we might be able to prevent PTSD in the first place.

For more information about the CLEAR Stress study or if you are interested in participating, call Dr. Jacob at (646) 962-5027 or e-mail Dr. Jacob at rej2008@med.cornell.edu