January 26, 2021

Dear Readers,

We are gearing up to host you virtually at our ASH 2020 Comes to You! Ed Forum on February 4th; register here.

What is ASH and why should you care?

The American Society of Hematology, a nonprofit organization, is the world’s leader in promoting and supporting clinical and scientific hematology research. The ASH Annual December Meeting provides a prestigious forum for the presentation of peer-reviewed abstracts delivering ground-breaking, cutting-edge data. In this video, Dr. John Pagel emphatically states that this CLL data should be known by all CLL patients and their caregivers to help in advocating for the best possible care for their CLL.

Upcoming Ed Forum

ASH 2020 Comes to You! on Feb. 4th at 10:00 AM PT, 11:00 AM MT, 12:00 PM CT, 1:00 PM ET. Each and every year Dr. Koffman and our Medical Advisory Board sift through hundreds of CLL-related ASH Annual Meeting abstracts to bring the most relevant new data to our readers in the form of articles, video interviews, and of course this Ed Forum. Register now and submit questions in advance. Highlights will include Dr. Anthony Mato explaining the excitement around LOXO-305, updates from the inform CLL Registry which validates CLL Society’s Test Before Treat™ campaign, and a one pill triple combination therapy targeting Richter’s Transformation. Dr. William Wierda will discuss the TRANSCEND CAR-T study using Liso-cel (JCAR017) in combination with ibrutinib, and present updated data from the MRD Cohort of the CAPTIVATE Study. Dr. Koffman will round out the presentations with his “Top Picks” of those studies not covered by Drs. Wierda and Mato, including one demonstrating impressive results using “fresh” CAR-T cells in patients with Richter’s Transformation. Don’t miss it!

Questions for the Ed Forum

You have the opportunity to ask questions for our upcoming ASH 2020 Comes to You! Please submit your questions to our expert panelists in advance of the event by sending them to: support@cllsociety.org with the subject line: ASH 2020 Ed Forum. You may send your questions by February 3 or plan to submit questions during the virtual event.

Vaccines

With Dr. Richard Furman’s permission, we are publishing this comprehensive email that he sent off in response to the many questions he has been receiving from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients concerning the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to fend off COVID-19. This email originally appeared in the CLL/SLL io group on Dec. 31, 2020.

Vaccine Prioritization Letter

It’s another Good Deed Day at CLL Society! Please help move cancer patients to the front of the COVID-19 vaccination line in your state. CLL Society has contacted the health departments in all 50 states + DC (accurate as of this posting) so that you can find out immediately through our nifty link whether your state has already prioritized cancer patients to receive the vaccine, or not. If not, we are asking you to take a few minutes to Click, fill, send! our letter asking your state’s health department to do so now! The life you save may be your own. Thank you.

Conference Coverage 

ASH 2020, in this video, Dr. Anthony Mato provides an update from his inform CLL study, which confirms one of our worst fears: Too many patients are not receiving proper testing prior to being prescribed treatment, and are receiving treatments that we know will not work.

You can learn how to avoid this by reading here about Test Before Treat™.

If you are worried that you are receiving the wrong treatment, apply here to receive a free online 2nd opinion consultation with a CLL expert through our Expert Access Program™.

MRD and Limited Duration (LD) Survey 

Help the CLL Society find out what our CLL patients and their caregivers know and still yearn to learn about MRD testing (for Minimal Residual Disease) and Limited Duration Therapies. Your input + our future programming = Smarter Patients Getting Smarter Care! Please complete our MRD & Limited Duration Therapy Survey.Thank you!

Support Groups

If you haven’t yet registered to join one of our 38 CLL-specific monthly Support Groups, try it! If you have fallen out of the habit of attending one you have participated in before, then welcome back! No need to be alone and no need to ever be out of the information loop. The CLL Society is here to help. Check out this interview with CLL Society’s Director of Support Groups, a 20-year CLL survivor, and find out what you’re missing or remember how good it was. Then register to attend a meeting. You will be glad you did!

Quick links to great help from the CLL Society

New to CLL? Dr. Neil Kay leads the way! 

CLL Support Groups, here is THE BIG MAP:

Test Before Treat™ (download here)

Official Statement on Vaccines (updated 1/4/2021) 

Glossary of Terms

We are celebrating 10 Years of covering ASH (and all the other major hematology conferences) to bring you the most important, breaking CLL research news in patient-friendly terms. Support the ongoing work of the CLL Society. Please donate today. Thank you!

CLL Society is the only CLL-specific, physician-curated public charity dedicated to meeting the unmet needs of CLL patients and their caregivers which holds the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency.

We are all in this together.

Patty Koffman
Co-Founder & Communications Director
CLL Society

CLL Society Support Group Meetings Coming Up!

CLL Society Support Group meetings have moved to a virtual platform for most locations due to the threat of coronavirus. Support group members will receive an invitation to register for the meeting from the support group facilitator. If you are new to the group, please contact the RSVP email for the Support Group in your region. Once it is safe again, we will resume in-person meetings.

Visit the individual event listings on our website for the most up-to-date information on all CLL Society Support Group meetings.