Oct. 2, 2009 | Health care providers for patients with leukemia and lymphoma gathered Sept. 18 at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to hear the latest advances in their field.

The Symposium on Leukemia and Lymphoma brought together about 200 doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other professionals to hear from internationally recognized experts about the most effective approach to managing these diseases.

The event was offered by the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Anne-Marie Maddox, M.D., professor of medicine in the UAMS Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, was the course director.

“We are honored each year to bring together some of the country’s most renown experts in leukemia and lymphoma from UAMS and other institutions,” Maddox said. “The response to the symposium has been outstanding, and we hope to continue to build on it for many years to come.”

Presenters from UAMS included:

• Maddox on “Mantle Cell Lymphoma: New Treatments”
• Robert Lorsbach, M.D., Ph.D., director of hematopathology, on “WHO Classifications of Acute Leukemia”
• Elias Anaissie, M.D., professor and director of the Division of Supportive Care in the UAMS Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, on “Treatment of Infections in Immunocompromised Hosts”

Four additional presenters shared their expertise on a variety of topics related to management of leukemia and lymphoma:

• H. Joachim Deeg, M.D., from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, on “Myelodysplasia: Progress and Treatment”
• Jorge Cortes, M.D., from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, on “Treatment and Monitoring of CML”
• Julie Vose, M.D., from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, on “T-Cell Lymphoma”
• Marcos de Lima, M.D., from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, on “Innovations in Bone Marrow Transplantation”