News — DECEMBER 2024 TIP SHEET: A behavioral expert offers advice for dealing with loss and holiday grief, a physician-scientist explains using “biological age” as a tool to predict early colorectal cancer risk, a cancer leader receives a prestigious award for mentorship, blood cancer experts share research insights that may eventually lead to a cure for multiple myeloma, a recent study shows genetic mutations accumulate in smokers with MDS, two clinical trials show promise for using an antibody to treat high-risk forms of lymphoma and ongoing research seeks answers for higher breast cancer risk among Caribbean women are in this month’s tip sheet from at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. For more information on any of these topics or to arrange an interview, please email Sandy Van, [email protected]. Thank you.
CANCER LOSS & GRIEF
Sylvester Expert Offers Advice for Coping with Loss, Holiday Grief
Wishing loved ones, friends, colleagues and even strangers “happy holidays” is common during this time of year, but for many, the happiness may be overshadowed by loss and grief. , clinical psychologist and founding director of Sylvester’s , can offer perspective to those dealing with loss and feelings of hopelessness during the holidays, including tips for building coping flexibility.
COLORECTAL CANCER
New Sylvester research indicates that “biological age” can differ from chronological age and those experiencing “accelerated aging” may be at greater risk for colon polyps, a known risk factor for colorectal cancer. The , published in Cancer Prevention Research, suggest that accelerated agers may benefit from early colon-cancer screening. “It’s pretty striking that multiple studies, including ours, have found that biological age provides distinct health information, and that could help us prevent cancer,” explained , colorectal cancer researcher at Sylvester and senior and corresponding study author.
CANCER CENTER MENTOR
Sylvester Director , was awarded the American Society of Hematology’s prestigious Mentor Award at its recent ASH 2024 annual meeting. The society recognized Nimer for his impact on more than 100 hematology trainees who have gone on to have thriving careers in the medical field. Nimer was lauded as a role model who “instills in them the importance of thinking critically and embracing challenges.”
BLOOD CANCER
Patients with multiple myeloma are living longer, healthier lives due to a host of new immunotherapies and targeted drugs. While a cure for multiple myeloma remains elusive, Sylvester physician-scientists who presented their research at ASH 2024 believe a cure could be on the horizon. “We’d like to develop a curative treatment for multiple myeloma, and we are at the point where that’s possible,” said , director of Sylvester Myeloma Research Institute at the University of Miami. He and many of his colleagues shared their advances and insights into this second most common blood cancer.
Smokers with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or a precursor condition had elevated levels of genetic mutations linked to the disease, according to a Sylvester-led study presented at ASH 2024. The study also found that heavier smokers accumulated more mutations and long-term smokers were more prone to disease progression. “The message from this study should be to initiate tobacco-cessation counseling in newly diagnosed patients,” said , Sylvester physician-scientist.
Two clinical trials testing the antibody loncastuximab tesirine (Zynlonta) showed encouraging results in patients with high-risk forms of two blood cancers – follicular lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma. The findings were presented at the ASH 2024 meeting.
One study, led by , Sylvester hematologist and lymphoma specialist, tested loncastuximab with the antibody rituximab in 39 patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma and high tumor burden. The is now being expanded to patients at multiple sites.
The other , led by , chief of Sylvester’s lymphoma section, tested loncastuximab alone in patients with relapsed or refractory marginal zone lymphoma, a rare, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in an ongoing, multi-center trial.
BREAST CANCER
Breast cancer takes a disproportionate toll on Caribbean women, who are often diagnosed at younger ages than U.S. women and have one of the world’s highest mortality rates from the disease. Sylvester researchers and collaborators investigating drivers of this disparity have found that recently diagnosed patients have had fewer babies than previous generations and experienced their first periods at earlier ages. “These changes are compounding the already known increased risk for developing these aggressive diseases,” said , Sylvester researcher from the Caribbean country Dominica. The latest appeared in JAMA Network Open.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Sandy Van
[email protected]
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