Treatments for the Older Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Patient

Main Category: Lymphoma / Leukemia / Myeloma
Article Date: 17 Oct 2004 - 1:00 PDT


Free, Interactive Telephone Education Program Features Lymphoma Expert John P Leonard, M D

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the leading source of information and support for patients battling leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, is offering a free telephone workshop entitled, Treatment for the Older Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Patient. The program is the last of a five-part educational series, Insights into Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Treatment for the Older Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Patient is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2004, 12 noon - 1 p.m. ET. The program will feature lymphoma expert John P. Leonard, M.D., associate professor of medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and clinical director, Cornell Center for Lymphoma and Myeloma in New York. Dr. Leonard will discuss the diagnosis, treatment and symptom management for older patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL); the role of clinical trials as treatment alternatives for older patients; and quality of life issues. A question-and-answer period will follow.

"Older patients with cancer such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma should be evaluated for treatment options based on their overall health, not only their age," explains Robin Kornhaber, M.S.W., the Society's senior vice president of patient services. "Dr. Leonard will provide an excellent overview to help these patients discuss with their healthcare teams the best course of treatment. We strongly encourage patients, caregivers and healthcare providers to participate in this educational program."

The Insights into Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma series is sponsored by Genentech BioOncology and Biogen Idec Inc., and will be archived on the Society's Web site at http://www.lls.org/lymphomaeducation. Nurses who participate in the program will earn 1.0 Continuing Education contact hour.

Registration

To register, call toll free (800) 899-2923 and choose option 3; email NHL@cancereducation.com; or visit http://www.lls.org/lymphomaeducation. Registrants will receive an information packet and a toll-free, dial-in number within 48 hours of signing up.

About Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. Lymphoma results when a lymphocyte (a type of white blood cell) undergoes a malignant change and begins to multiply, eventually crowding out healthy cells and creating tumors which enlarge the lymph nodes or other sites in the body. Fifty-seven percent of blood cancers are lymphomas. Rates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma increases with age. It is estimated that approximately 54,370 Americans will be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2004, and it is estimated that 346,749 people in the United States are currently living with the disease.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, headquartered in White Plains, NY, is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. The Society's mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, the Society has invested more than $360 million in research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Last year alone, the Society made more than 812,000 contacts with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals through services provided at its Home Office and by its 63 chapters nationwide.

For more information about blood cancer, visit http://www.LLS.org or call the Society's Information Resource Center (IRC), a call center staffed by master's level social workers, nurses and health educators who provide information, support and resources to patients and their families and caregivers. IRC information specialists are available at (800) 955-4572 or via email at Infocenter@lls.org, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

Contact: Jon Garbo, (914) 821-8969

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