"Lymphoma and the Older Patient," a Free Telephone Education Program, Informs Patients of Leading-Edge Lymphoma Research

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Friday, 13 June 2003

Patients, Families and Caregivers Invited to Participate in Live, Interactive Workshop Featuring Lymphoma Expert John Leonard, M.D.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the leading source of information and support for patients and families battling blood cancer, is offering a free telephone education workshop entitled, "Lymphoma and the Older Patient," in conjunction with CancerCare.

The program, scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, 2003, 12 noon - 1 p.m. Eastern time, will feature lymphoma expert John Leonard, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Center for Lymphoma & Myeloma, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in New York City.

"Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the sixth most common cancer in the United States, and its incidence increases with age," explains Dr. Leonard, a specialist in lymphoma research. "This program will give the public an opportunity to learn about non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as well as treatments and clinical trials appropriate for older patients."

Dr. Leonard's presentation will include a discussion of monoclonal antibodies and radio immunotherapy, targeted therapies particularly useful to older patients who cannot tolerate chemotherapy; and antisense, a new class of drug in development that shuts off certain proteins in lymphoma cells to make them more sensitive to chemotherapy. A question-and-answer period will follow.

To register for the program, visit www.cancercare.org or call (800) 813-HOPE. Registrants will receive an information packet and toll-free dial-in number. The workshop is sponsored by an unrestricted educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline.

About Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originates 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 that enlarge the lymph nodes or other sites in the body. Fifty-eight percent of blood cancers are lymphomas. Rates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma increase with age. Approximately 53,400 Americans were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2003, and it is estimated that 314,400 people in the United States are currently living with the disease.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, based in White Plains, NY, is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. The Society's mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, the Society has provided more than $358 million for research specifically targeting blood cancers.

The Society offers teleconferences, Webcasts and other educational programs throughout the year. Visit the "Learn from the Experts" section of the Society's Web site, www.LLS.org, to view archived Webcasts and teleconferences. For more information about blood cancer, visit the Web site or call the Society's Information Resource Center (IRC), a call center staffed by 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, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

About CancerCare

CancerCare is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide free professional help to people with all cancers through counseling, education, information and referral and direct financial assistance. Since 1944, the organization has provided emotional support, information and practical help to people with cancer and their loved ones through its toll-free Counseling Line, teleconference programs, office-based services and via the Internet.

For more information, or to contact Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, see their website at: www.leukemia.org