Biology and Treatment of Leukemia and Bone Marrow Neoplasms

1. Advances in diagnosis and risk stratification of leukemias and bone marrow neoplasms. Raju Pillai, Michelle Afkhami2. Genetics and diagnostic approach to lymphoblastic leukemia. Michelle Afkami, Feras Ally, Raju Pillai3. Acute promyelocytic leukemia: update on risk stratification and treatment. Amandeep Salhotra, Matthew Mei4. Current and emerging therapies for AML. Brian Ball, A Aribi, Matthew Mei, Salman Otukesh, A Stein, G Marcucci5. Current management and new developments in treatment of ALL. Justin Darrah, Weili Sun. 6. Contemporary therapy of CML. David Snyder.7. MDS: Pathogenesis and therapy. Ryotaro Nakamura, Samer Khaled, Shukaib Arslan. 8. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Biology and therapy. Tanya Siddiqi, Steve Rosen, 9. Biology and current treatment of Myeloproliferative neoplasms. Haris Ali, David Snyder. 10. Systemic Mastocytosis: Pathology and treatment. Sheeja Pullarkat, Winnie Wu, Vinod Pullarkat, 11. Adoptive T-cell therapy and other novel immunotherapies for leukemia. Geoffrey Shouse, Elizabeth Budde, Stephen Forman.

This book provides a concise update on current understanding of the biology of acute and chronic leukemias and other bone marrow neoplasms, including myelodysplastic and myeloproliferative disorders, and explores new and emerging treatments. There is a particular focus on the molecular abnormalities that are drivers of leukemia and on their detection by modern molecular techniques. Knowledge of the ways in which genomic and metabolic abnormalities in the hematologic neoplasms affect prognosis and treatment decision making is reviewed. Detailed attention is devoted to targeted therapies, including novel drugs, and to potential targets for future drug development. In addition, readers find in-depth discussion of cellular and antibody-based immunotherapies as well as the role of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of leukemias and bone marrow malignancies. The book is of special interest for hematologists, oncologists, and cancer researchers; it is also of value for hematology trainees and medical students.

Author Information

Guido Marcucci, MD, is Chair and Professor in the Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science and Professor in the Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation at City of Hope (COH) Comprehensive Cancer Center in California. He is also Director of the Gehr Family Center for Leukemia Research at COH. Dr. Marcucci has conducted basic, translational, and clinical research in myeloid malignancies. His research focus has been on discovery of basic mechanisms of leukemogenesis, novel therapeutic targets, epigenetic and genetic prognostic biomarkers, and new drug development for AML and MDS. He has chaired several phase I, II, and III clinical trials as both single- and multi-institution studies within the oncology cooperative group Alliance (formerly known as CALGB), for which he is currently Vice-Chair of the Leukemia Committee and Member of the Leukemia Correlative Science Committee. Dr. Marcucci has published over 300 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has been uninterruptedly funded by the National Cancer Institute since 2001.

Vinod Pullarkat, MD, MRCP, is Professor in the Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation at City of Hope National Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Pullarkat's clinical expertise is in the treatment of acute leukemia and other bone marrow neoplasms, including the use of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. He received his medical degree from University of Calicut, India, and undertook fellowship training in Hematology/Oncology at the University of Southern California, following which he served as Faculty in the Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation at City of Hope Medical Center and at the University of Southern California. Dr. Pullarkat's research focuses especially on the biology of acute leukemia, including mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance, and the development of new therapies for acute leukemia. He has been Principal Investigator on various leukemia clinical trials and has published extensively in the fields of acute leukemia biology and therapy as well as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.