November 21, 2017

Friends,

We in the CLL community have much to be thankful for in 2017 and much to look forward to in the coming years. We at the CLL Society are especially thankful to all those who support us and use our services and who make this such a vibrant and committed community.

Share Your Voice! If you haven’t participated in our 2017 CLL Patient Survey, PLEASE consider doing so today. You can participate online or request a paper survey. Find out more here. If you’ve already participated, THANK YOU! Your participation will help us understand the experiences of CLL patients and how to best meet your needs.

We all know how important our caregivers are to us, and in this gift-giving season, or really anytime, it can be tricky to think of the best idea to show our appreciation. We were approached by Beverly Nelson, creator of Stand Up For Caregivers, which aims to help protect and advocate for the health and well-being of adult caregivers. She is the author of this week’s posting Holiday Gift-Giving Guide for the Most Giving Person in Your Life. You can access my intro and her article here.

Yesterday we launched a new pilot program CLL Society Expert Access™. We frequently write and speak about how access to a CLL expert is critical to ensure receiving the best possible care and has proven to improve survival. The CLL Society is launching a new pilot program CLL Society Expert Access™ to provide free second opinions for CLL patients who have not had or who are not able to secure such access. Find out if you qualify for this pilot program here.

Our next CLL Patient Education Forums will be taking place after ASH 2017 we’ll be in Seattle, WA and Bethesda, MD on 12/16, then Boston, MA and Tampa, FL on 1/6/18 (more to follow). You’ll hear the latest data about CLL and be able to ask questions of CLL Experts. See below for the full schedule, more information and to register.

Upcoming CLL Support Groups!

With it being a holiday week in the United States, we have no support groups scheduled, but next week will be here before we know it!

Tuesday, November 28^th at 7:00 PM in Berea, OH – The Northeast Ohio CLL Support Group, sponsored by the CLL Society, will be meeting. More information here.

Tuesday, November 28^th at 7:00 PM in Rochester, NY – The Rochester NY CLL Support Group, sponsored by the CLL Society, will be meeting. More information here.

ALSO – We are actively forming CLL-specific support groups in a number of cities across the country. There has been recent interest in forming support groups in the following cities: Tucson, AZ, Central Massachusetts, New York City, Raleigh, NC, Cincinnati, OH, Dallas, TX, Nashville, TN, Hartford, CT, Greensboro NC, Palm Springs, and Oahu, HI. Complete the interest survey and let’s see if we can get one going! See what other cities are looking to form support groups by clicking here. Not listed, but interested in starting one? Email us at support@cllsociety.org Thanks!

CLL Patient Education Meetings

CLL Society Sponsored Meetings

SAVE THE DATE: The CLL Society will be hosting a series of CLL Patient Educational Forums. Mark your calendars! There is no charge to attend, but registration is required!

December 16^th – Swedish Cancer Center in Seattle, WA with Dr. John Pagel, Dr Krish Patel and Dr. Mazyar Shadman. More information here. Register here

December 16^th – National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD with Dr. Adrian Wiestner and Dr. Inhye Ahn. More information here. Register here.

January 6^th – Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA with Dr. Matthew Davids. More information here. Register here.

January 6^th – Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL with Dr. Javier Pinella.

January 13^th – City of Hope in Duarte, CA with Drs. Steven Rosen and Tanya Siddiqi. More information here. Register here.

January 27^th – Duke Cancer Institute in Raleigh, NC with Dr. Danielle Brander.

 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Sponsored Meetings

Tuesday, December 5th from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM in Phoenix, AZ – LLS invites you to attend Living Well with CLL: Diagnosis, Treatments and Support being held at the Camby Hotel in Phoenix, AZ. Dr. Jose Leis from the Mayo Clinic will be presenting. This event is free but registration is required. Dinner will be provided to registered attendees. Find out more information and register here.

Lymphoma Research Foundation Sponsored Meetings

LRF will be hosting Ask the Doctor: Updates on Lymphoma and Treatment Options meetings in Richmond, VA on November 30th at 6 PM and in Omaha, NE on December 5th at 6 PM. The meetings are free, but registration is required. Dinner will be provided to all registered attendees.

In the meantime….

Stay strong.

We are all in this together.

Brian Koffman, MD