Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium Scientific Workshop - Report From Sixth Annual Meeting Now Available

Main Category: Lymphoma / Leukemia / Myeloma
Article Date: 25 Jun 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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Almost 60 mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) specialists from around the world gathered in Atlanta, GA for the Lymphoma Research Foundation's (LRF) Sixth Annual Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium (MCLC) Scientific Workshop. Attendees heard presentations addressing several key issues including the biology of MCL, prognostic indicators, new molecular targets, chemoimmunotherapy, transplantation and novel therapeutic approaches.

The MCLC was established by the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) in 2005 to accelerate the pace of mantle cell lymphoma research. Attendees to this year's workshop included: LRF MCLC members, including LRF MCL grant recipients as well as other scientific investigators conducting cutting-edge research.

As in the past, this year's meeting provided a unique opportunity for experts to report on their research findings and exchange ideas on how to best improve treatment options for individuals living with MCL. Those in attendance heard 17 oral presentations, viewed 9 poster presentations and participated in 6 roundtable discussions covering areas such as: Clinical Trails for Younger Patients, Epigenetic Studies in MCL and Cell Cycle Targets for MCL.

About Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a B-cell lymphoma that gets its name because mantle cell tumors are composed of cells that come from the "mantle" zone of the lymph node. Frequently, MCL is diagnosed as a stage 4 disease, often present in lymphnodes above and below the diaphragm and in most cases involves the gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow. MCL is a relatively rare disease, constituting only about 6 percent of all NHL cases in the United States (i.e., only about 3,000 cases per year in the U.S.). This lymphoma usually affects men over the age of 60.

Source
Lymphoma Research Foundation