PracticeUpdate: Haematology & Oncology

2016 ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS OF THE HAA 2016 30

Dr Bill Renwick shares his top abstracts and key take-aways fromHAA 2016 Bill Renwick, MBBS, FRACP, FRCPA is Consultant Haematologist at The Royal Melbourne and Sunshine Hospitals in Melbourne. Abstract 030. Novel agents – who needs them? JW Friedberg

HAA 2016 13–16 NOVEMBER 2016 • MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA Dr Bill Renwick and Dr Zane Kaplan, who attended the 2016 Annual Scientific Meetings of the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand, Australian & New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion and the Australasian Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, share their top sessions and key take-aways.

Abstract 031. Genomic based treatment advances in Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia. S Treon Jonathan Friedberg discussed some of the newer agents used in low grade lymphoma and he gave a nice overview of the current treatments and improvements made by some of newer agents such as ibrutinib, and lenalidomide in various diseases. Steven Treon, who spoke on Walden- strom’s macroglobulinemia (WM), gave a very nice talk on the genes behind the various abnormalities in WM and that, by knowing the genes that are affected, we can improve targeted approaches using drugs such as ibrutinib and some of the other B-cell receptor antagonist. Abstract 020. Biology of multiple myeloma: Genetics and epigenetics. A Spencer Abstract 021. Optimal treatment in de novo and first relapse myeloma. T Facon Abstract 011. ROAR: A Phase Ib trial of oral azacitidine in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Rd) for patients with relapsed and/or refractory (R/R) multiple myeloma who have failed a prior lenalidomide- containing regimen. A Kalff, K Reed, T Khong T, et al. There have been so many advances in multiple myeloma (MM). Andrew Spencer gave a very thorough and comprehensive overview of the biology of MM, while Thierry Facon spoke about optimal treatments for upfront treatment of MM and at first relapse. There are so many new agents in MM and trying to work out which combination to give and in what order is a challenge. Daratumumab is looking very promising and work in ongoing to find the best combinations.

Anna Kalff gave a presentation on the in- vestigator-initiated trial her group is doing looking at oral azacitadine combined with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in re- fractory myeloma. combined be presenting these data at ASH this year. Abstract 062. The science behind Bcl2 inhibition. D Huang Abstract 064. Therapeutic progress in targeting apoptosis pathways in AML. A Wei Abstract 063. Bcl2 inhibition in lymphoprolif- erative disease. M Anderson The Walter Eliza Hall Institute has done a lot of work on Bcl-2 inhibition in low grade lymphomas, particularly chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. The new Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax is showing impressive results. David Huang gave a nice overview of the science behind Bcl-2 inhibition, Mary Ann Anderson spoke about venetoclax in CLL and low grade lymphomas, and Andrew Wei spoke on acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Even though most of the work on venetoclax has been in CLL and

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