56th ASH Annual Meeting to highlight latest research, celebrate milestones in hematology

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) will host more than 20,000 attendees from around the world for its 56th annual meeting, featuring breakthrough research and the latest patient care advances in hematology December 6-9 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. This ASH meeting is the premier annual event for physicians and scientists in hematology.

The 2014 ASH Annual Meeting will feature nearly 5,000 (4,871) scientific abstract presentations representing the entire hematology research continuum - from critical basic laboratory work to late-stage clinical trials. Six of the top-scoring abstracts will be highlighted during the Plenary Scientific Session on Sunday; the Late-Breaking Abstracts Session on Tuesday will showcase six studies with novel, late-breaking data of high impact. To complement the meeting's hallmark oral and poster presentations, two "Featured Topic Discussion" sessions will be offered featuring expert analysis of several abstract presentations in the timely areas of hemostasis and thrombosis and "checkpoint blockade" therapies.

In addition to its highly anticipated abstract presentations, the 2014 ASH Annual Meeting program includes notable sessions on the promise and optimal use of new drugs entering the marketplace. A special session on newly approved drugs, moderated by ASH Clinical News Editor-in-Chief Mikkael Sekeres, MD, will feature analysis from experts with significant clinical experience using these new therapies. This year's Special Symposium on Quality, titled "The Rising Cost of Medical Care: Understand the Problem and Exploring Solutions," will address how the financial burden of cancer drugs in particular can negatively affect patient treatment adherence and quality of life.

Other signature annual meeting offerings include the Education and Scientific Programs; a host of lectures, seminars, and special symposia; and presentations of the Society's honorific and mentor awards:

• The Education Program will offer 28 sessions on important areas of clinical progress, including care for lymphoma patients with poor prognoses, recent advances in care for bone marrow failure syndromes, and a debate over the best care for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. This year's Education Program will also feature a session detailing the five commonly used tests and procedures in hematology included on the Society's second Choosing Wisely® list, to be released on December 3 as part of a national campaign aimed at prompting conversations between patients and physicians about the necessity and potential harm of certain practices.
• The Scientific Program will feature 18 sessions on the hottest areas of hematology research, including genome sequencing and immunotherapies. The 2014 Scientific Program will also feature special symposia on RNA therapeutics, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, and the basic science of hemostasis and thrombosis.
• Several renowned hematologists will present this year's Special Lectures:
  
  • Jesús San Miguel, MD, PhD, will present the 2014 Ham-Wasserman Lecture, "Multiple Myeloma: A Modern Model for Scientific and Clinical Progress."
  • Tomas Ganz, MD, PhD, will present the E. Donnall Thomas Lecture, "Iron, Erythropoiesis, and Host Defense: A Ménage á Trois."
  • Michael R. DeBaun, MD, MPH, and Robert P. Hebbel, MD, will present the Ernest Beutler Lecture, "Sickle Cell Anemia: Improved Understanding but Continued Challenges."
  • Randy D. Gascoyne, MD, Margaret A. Shipp, MD, and Ralf Küppers, PhD, will deliver the Presidential Symposium, "Lymphoma: Insights into Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Targets."
  
  
• The Society will honor the following hematologists with individual awards for their achievements during the 2014 meeting:
  
  • Kanti R. Rai, MD - Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology
  • Scott Armstrong, MD, PhD - Dameshek Prize
  • Timothy Springer, PhD, and Geraldine Schechter, MD - Henry M. Stratton Medal
  • Grover C. Bagby Jr., MD, MACP, and John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD - Mentor Awards
  
  

"The ASH annual meeting showcases the full spectrum of translation in hematology," said ASH President Linda J. Burns, MD, of the University of Minnesota. "The programming is exceptionally diverse, as session topics span from basic research discoveries to exciting new therapies that improve patient outcomes. We have worked hard to ensure that there is great programming for everyone, no matter their focus within the field."

For the complete annual meeting program and abstracts, visit http://www.hematology.org/annual-meeting. Up-to-the-minute meeting information can also be found by following ASH on Twitter (@ash_hematology) and the hashtag #ASH14.

Provided by American Society of Hematology