ASH News Daily 2017 - Issue 1 - A-2

ASH News Daily

Page A-2

Saturday, December 9, 2017

ASH News Daily
2017 Editorial Board
Editor

Saad Zafar
Usmani, MD,
FACP,
Levine Cancer
Institute,
Charlotte, NC
@szusmani
Authors

Farrukh
Awan, MD,
The Ohio
State
University,
Columbus,
OH
@awandoc
Mehdi
Hamadani,
MD, Medical
College of
Wisconsin,
Milwaukee, WI
@medihumandani
Lynn
Lederman,
PhD,
Mamaroneck,
NY
@lynnelederman
Hugh Young
Rienhoff, MD,
MyDaughters
DNA.org,
Imago
BioSciences,
San Carlos, CA
Nina Shah,
MD,
University
of California,
San Francisco,
CA
@ninashah33
Binod Dhakal, MD, MS, Medical College of Wisconsin; and
Peter Forsberg, MD, University of Colorado, are serving
as a Junior Authors this year.
©2017 by the American Society of
Hematology
All materials contained in this
newspaper are protected by
copyright laws and may not be
used, reproduced, or otherwise
exploited in any manner without
the expressed prior permission of
ASH News Daily.
Contributing authors have declared
any financial interest in a product
or in potentially competing
products, regardless of the dollar
amount. Any such financial interest
is noted with the respective articles.

Come One, MCome
U LT I P L E M Y All,
ELOMA
to the City of Love!
By Saad Usmani, MD

M U LT I P L E M Y E L O M A

t's that time of the year when hematologists from all over the world make the annual pilgrimage to learn from each other and affirm their resolve to improve the lives of their patients.
From my training years until now, the ASH annual meeting has always held a special significance for me. The sense of belonging and the anticipation of hearing what the "hemo-innovators"
have to share each year never gets old. What will the latest advancement to change our thinking
and practice be? I can't wait to find out alongside all of you!
We are living in the golden era of hematology research in which bench and bedside investigators are no longer working in silos but essentially sharing the same workspace. To say that this
has been a remarkable year for hematology research would be an understatement. I still recall
listening to the first talks at the annual meeting describing chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR
Ts) and their potential for clinical utility, so to see the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approvals for the CD19-specific CAR Ts this year feels like a fairy tale come true. Looking at the
FDA drug approvals for acute leukemias (midostaurin, enasidenib, and inotuzuman ozogamicin)
and for lymphomas (copanlisib and acalabrutinib) this year is remarkable, and we can find these
stories first being shared at previous ASH meetings.
So, which new pathway or technology will attract our attention this year? We have been hearing
about gene editing and the possibilities for inherited blood disorders for several years. CRIPSRCas9 technology appears to be coming full circle and will be the talk of the town with more than
120 related abstracts being presented. Are we getting closer to developing predictive biomarkers
for hematologic malignancies? There are more than 300 abstracts being presented utilizing genomic data to this end. How do clinicians make sense of these advances? We have more than 50
educational sessions for this purpose. This year, ASH will also highlight the efforts and research
programs in low-to-middle income countries through the Global Capacity-Building Showcase,
which will spotlight capacity-building initiatives around diagnosing and treating hematologic
malignancies, stem cell transplantation, and sickle cell disease.
There are several new tools this year to help attendees navigate and get the most out of the
meeting: ASH Assist allows attendees to ask a question or report an issue or concern by texting
"69050." So if that session room is too cold for you, text "69050" and let someone know. Another
new feature is the "Alexa-Ask ASH Meeting" stations placed throughout the convention center.
Whether you have questions about the location of a certain session or the schedule for the shuttle
buses, Alexa will be there to help. The ASH mobile app has been revamped to optimize session
searches with a second layer of enhanced taxonomy. The collaboration rooms have been a big hit
in previous years, and reservations will be available again this year on a first-come, first-served
basis either through the ASH app or at ASH Central. These rooms will be pre-set with a conference table and chairs, a flat screen monitor, and cables to connect your personal laptop.
The rising tide of burnout is a pervasive yet under-recognized issue, with 54 percent of physicians reporting at least one symptom of professional burnout in 2014. This year, the ASH white
board bring this matter to the fore and asks, "As a hematologist, how do you build resilience and
face factors that might contribute to professional burnout?" Visit the ASH Resilience Wall in ASH
Central (Hall B1) to share your story, while a graphic artist illustrates your words in real time.
Finally, let's talk about Atlanta. Whether it is through cuisine, music, sports, culture, or history,
attendees will have many ways to entertain the senses after the daily academic immersion. The
CNN Studio tours, the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, and the Center for Civil and
Human Rights are just a few of the attractions within walking distance of the Convention Center.
For history buffs, do check out the Underground Atlanta which has its roots in the post-Civil war
construction era. The city is known for its bustling traffic, so plan your travel to that restaurant,
show, or sporting event accordingly or you will be caught on I-85 wondering "Why, Georgia,
why?" Hope you have a great time, and the ASH News Daily crew is here for you!

Update: Impact of Weather Conditions on
ASH Annual Meeting for Saturday, December 9

tlanta is experiencing adverse winter weather conditions, and the forecast
called for more precipitation and
freezing temperatures overnight.
ASH is carefully monitoring the
situation and is asking all meeting attendees to check our website
(www.hematology.org/atlanta) for the
latest updates regarding shuttle bus
service and any potential impact on
the meeting schedule.

Our number-one priority is the
safety of our meeting attendees. We
urge you to use caution and common sense as you navigate potentially slippery roads and sidewalks.
We understand that many of you
have traveled a long way to be here

and we appreciate your patience as
we navigate the unfolding weather
situation, which is, unfortunately,
beyond our control.
Sincerely,
ASH Annual Meeting Team

http://www.hematology.org/atlanta

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASH News Daily 2017 - Issue 1