May 22, 2018

Friends,

This was another busy week for me with various appointments, a quick trip to Boston for a patient advisory board, followed by a brief visit to a museum in Boston, then the water taxi to the airport. Getting stronger every day.

This week I’m posting another interview from ASH 2017 with Dr. Jennifer Brown where we talked about the risk of bleeding in patients being treated with ibrutinib. She combined the data from a number of trials to include data for 750 patients and the results were mostly reassuring. You can read my summary and view the interview here.

FREE SECOND OPINION! We are thrilled that we have received funding to continue the CLL Society Expert Access™ program that began as a pilot in the Fall of 2017! 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. This program provides free second opinions for CLL patients who have not had or who are not able to secure such access. Find out more and apply for the program here.

CLL Patient Support Group Meetings Coming Up

NEW CLL SUPPORT GROUP MEETING IN WESTSIDE LOS ANGELES (June 16^th)! Stay tuned for more information!

Tuesday, May 22^nd at 7:00 PM in Berea, OH – The Northeast Ohio CLL Support Group, sponsored by the CLL Society will be meeting. More information here.

Wednesday, May 23^rd at 7:00 PM in Rochester, NY – The Rochester CLL Support Group, sponsored by the CLL Society will be meeting FOR THE FIRST TIME. More information here.

Thursday, May 24^th at 7:00 PM in Syosset, NY – The Long Island CLL Support Group, sponsored by the CLL Society will be meeting. More information here.

Saturday, May 26^th at 10:00 AM in Nashville, TN – The Nashville CLL Support Group, sponsored by the CLL Society will be meeting. More information here.

Saturday, May 26^th at 1:00 PM in Newton Lower Falls, MA – The Boston CLL Support Group, sponsored by the CLL Society will be meeting. More information here.

Sunday, May 27^th at 3:00 PM in the Dallas-area of Texas – The DFW CLL Support Group, sponsored by the CLL Society will be meeting. More information here.

CLL Patient Education Meetings

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Sponsored Meetings

Thursday, May 31^st from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM in Bloomington, MN

LLS invites you to attend Living Well with CLL: Diagnosis, Treatments and Support being held at the Marriott Minneapolis Airport in Bloomington, MN. Veronika Bachanova, MD, PhD and William Robiner, PhD, ABPP, LP from University of Minnesota will be presenting. This event is free but registration is required. Dinner will be provided to registered attendees. Find out more information here. Register here.

Thursday, June 7th from 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM in Valley View, OH

LLS invites you to attend Living Well with CLL: Diagnosis, Treatments and Support being held at the LockKeepers in Valley View, OH. Brian Hill, MD, PhD from the Cleveland Clinic and Linda Baer MSN, APRN, AOCNP from the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center 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

Tuesday, May 29th from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM in Philadelphia, PA

The Lymphoma Research Foundation invites you to attend a FREE program: Ask the Doctor About Lymphoma: Updates on Lymphoma and Treatment Options at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel featuring Stefan Barta, MD, MS, MRCP from the Fox Chase Cancer Center. Find out more information and register here.

Monday, June 18th from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM in Seattle, WA

The Lymphoma Research Foundation invites you to attend a FREE program: Ask the Doctor About Lymphoma: Updates on Lymphoma and Treatment Options at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel featuring Krish Patel, MD from the Swedish Medical Center-First Hill. Find out more information and register here.

Wednesday, June 20th from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM in Charlottesville, VA

The Lymphoma Research Foundation invites you to attend a FREE program: Ask the Doctor About Lymphoma: Updates on Lymphoma and Treatment Options at the Courtyard Charlottesville – University Medical Center featuring Craig A. Portell, MD from the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center at the University of Virginia. Find out more information and register here.

In the meantime….

Stay strong.

We are all in this together.

Brian Koffman, MD