PracticeUpdate: Haematology & Oncology

HAA 2016 31

lymphomas, AML appears particularly susceptible to Bcl-2 inhibition, and his group is doing some promising early work in elderly patients with AML combining venetoclax with demethylating agents or low- dose chemotherapy. Results of this study will be also be presented at ASH. Venetoclax is one of the hottest and most promising drugs in haematology, and WEHI and Royal Melbourne Hospital/Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre have done a lot of preclinical and early clinical studies with it. Abstract 050. Single hit lymphoma. J Shortt Abstract 051. Ann Arbor staging vs. total metabolic tumour volume. Time for a change? J Trotman

ClaireMcLintock highlighted the fact that we should treat the patient and not the number of patients, whichwas the big take-homemessage for me.

© HAA 2016

Abstract 135. Obstetric DIC. C McLintock Claire McLintock gave a practical overview of thrombocytopenia and pregnancy, and the problems and pitfalls in pregnant women with low platelets. She highlighted the fact that we should treat the patient and not the number of platelets, which was the big take-home message for me. Abstract 022. The myeloproliferative neoplasms – JAK/STAT signalling and stem cell subversion. T Green Abstract 023. Clinical relevance of leukemia stem cells in AML. J Dick Tony Green gave a great talk on JAK/STAT signalling pathways in myelo- proliferative neoplasms, while John Dick’s talk was on the basic science of leukaemia and AML but nevertheless relevant. It was somewhat sobering when he pointed out that it’s so hard to choose drugs that are going to be able to treat all the various mutations and problems that the AML can produce. Someone asked at the end of his talk, “Given all that, do you think it’s surprising that we can cure anyone?!”

Abstract 052. Hodgkin lymphoma gone bad. M Hertzberg Jake Shortt gave a nice overview of the biology of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, particularly looking at the ‘double hit’ and ‘single hit’ lym- phomas and the biology behind why certain things don’t work and what potential medications might be used to target the biological differences in various diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. Judith Trotman spoke on PET scanning and the change in the way we stage; whether we need to move away from the Ann Arbor system to using PET total metabolic tumour volume, which may be a better pre- dictor for prognosis. Mark Hertzberg spoke about relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma and the options available, including brentuximab and the PD-1 inhibitors.

Dr Zane Kaplan discusses his top sessions fromHAA 2016 Zane Kaplan, MD, is Specialist Haematologist at Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne.

followed by Thierry Facon who gave an over- view of the management of de novo and first relapse myeloma. While there were nothing specifically practice-changing in terms of what was presented, they were good in terms of providing an overview and insights into the molecular pathogenesis of multiple myeloma. Abstract 097. Valves thrombosis. J Weitz One of the key take-home messages from Jeffrey Weitz’s session was that some physi- cians are inappropriately reducing the dose of oral anticoagulants when they probably shouldn’t, and as a result patients are being under-treated and under-dosed.

expert in sickle cell anaemia, so it was very useful to hear from them and their advice on managing patients with thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia. The take-home message for me from these sessions is that hydroxy- urea is underutilised in patients with sickle cell disease. Hydroxyurea is, in essence, a very cheap and effective therapy. Abstract 020. Biology of multiple myeloma: Genetics and epigenetics. A Spencer Abstract 021. Optimal treatment in de novo and first relapse myeloma. T Facon Andrew Spencer’s talk on myeloma was very good, providing insights into the molecular pathogenesis of the disease. This was well

HAA 2016 was a fantastic meeting with a good variety of speakers and sessions, from malignancy to basic science to molecular pathogenesis. And it was good to see hae- moglobinopathies given a presence at this meeting. Abstract 055. Alpha thalassaemia and Hb E/ Beta thalassaemia-clinical course and disease modifiers. V Viprakasit Abstract 056. Global strategies for sickle cell disease. R Ware The haemoglobinopathies sessions were fan- tastic and featured a couple of international experts. Vip Viprakasit from Thailand is a thalassaemia expert and Russell Ware is an

DECEMBER 2016