Three cancer experts from the University of Nebraska Medical Center
will conduct a live Internet chat sponsored by the American Society of
Clinical Oncology’s patient Web site, People Living With Cancer (www.PLWC.org).
The live chat is scheduled for Wednesday, July 28, from 1 to 2 p.m. (CDT)
on Understanding Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma. The chat will provide
patients, family members and caregivers an opportunity to ask questions
of experts.
The hour-long question and answer session will address a variety of
topics including: symptoms; the role of clinical trials in treatment; late
effects of lymphoma treatment; stem cell transplantation and other treatments;
new drugs and drug combinations; and the role of gene therapy and vaccines
in the treatment of lymphoma.
Members of the public can participate live or log on in advance and
submit questions ahead of time. A copy of the transcript of the chat in
its entirety will be available on the Web site following the chat.
UNMC experts who will conduct the chat are: James O. Armitage, M.D.,
professor, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine and Joe Shapiro Distinguished
Chair of Oncology; Lori J. Maness, M.D., assistant professor of medicine,
UNMC Department of Internal Medicine; and Stefano Tarantolo, M.D., associate
professor, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine.
The cancer program of UNMC and its clinical partner, The Nebraska Medical
Center, attracts patients from all over the world and is recognized as
one the most successful and better known centers in the world, known particularly
for its expertise in leukemias and lymphomas. About half the clinical and
basic research grants awarded to UNMC are cancer-related. The team performs
more transplants for lymphoma than most institutions in the world.
Dr. Armitage is a fellow of both the American and Royal College of Physicians,
a member of the National Cancer Advisory Board, and past president of both
the American Society of Clinical Oncology and American Society of Blood
and Marrow Transplantation. He serves on the editorial boards of several
peer-reviewed journals, and has authored or coauthored hundreds of articles,
book chapters, and abstracts.
Dr. Maness is an associate member of the American Society of Clinical
Oncology and the American Society of Hematology. Her research interests
include developing protocols for the treatment of leukemia.
Dr. Tarantolo is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, and
a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society
of Hematology, American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, the
International Society of Experimental Hematology and the International
Immunocompromised Host Society. His primary interest is in the treatment
of multiple myeloma, and he has written about these subjects in peer-reviewed
journals and textbooks.
Visit the People Living With Cancer Website (www.PLWC.org) for chat
log in details, recommended readings, to submit a chat question, or to
request a copy of the transcript. Participants can logon about 10 minutes
before the chat starts. The site also includes more information on the
UNMC featured experts and additional information regarding the latest advances
in clinical cancer research presented at ASCO. National contact is Brendan
Kelly: (703) 299-1061.
People Living With Cancer (www.PLWC.org) is the patient Web site of
ASCO, the world’s leading professional society of multidisciplinary physicians
who treat people with cancer. ASCO’s more than 20,000 members from
the U.S. and abroad set the standard for patient care worldwide and lead
the fight for more effective cancer treatments, increased funding for clinical
and translational research, and, ultimately, cures for the many different
types of cancer that strike an estimated 10 million people worldwide each
year.