At the 64th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition in New Orleans, La. for 2022, thousands of oncologists and health care providers come together to listen to cutting-edge scientific presentations on blood cancers and the latest news on treatment. With this in mind, we sat down with Amgen's vice president and global medical therapeutic area head for oncology, Dr. Sumita Bhatta, to discuss the second most common leukemia among adults, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and what she's looking forward to the most about this year's ASH.
What are the challenges in treating adult patients with ALL?
Unfortunately, patients suffering from relapsed/refractory B-lineage ALL can have poor outcomes, as relapses are frequent.1,2 While survival rates for children with ALL have dramatically improved, with cure rates now exceeding 85%, a substantial portion of adult patients relapse after an initial response and only 30 to 40% of adult patients achieve long-term remission.1,3
Where do you see the future of ALL treatment heading? What do you see as the biggest opportunities for the future of ALL treatment?
The future of ALL treatment looks bright, as we continue to see new research demonstrating improvements in treatment outcomes. At Amgen, we are focused on how we can improve the experience of patients in the future by minimizing chemotherapy and exploring different administration options.
What are you looking forward to most at ASH this year?
I'm particularly interested in the advancements we continue to make in blood cancer, some of which may have a significant impact on patients' lives
Be sure to follow Amgen Oncology on Twitter and LinkedIn for real-time updates throughout ASH, and follow the event hashtag on #ASH22 for the latest congress news.
References:
- Maffini E, et al. Clin Hematol Int. 2019;1(2):85-93.
- Gökbuget N. Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 2016;1:573-579
- Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). https://www.lls.org/research/acute-lymphoblastic-leukemia-all. Accessed on December 7, 2022.
