By Alicia Dirado and Houri Yeghiayan

City of Hope’s annual hematologic oncology conference attracted one of its most renowned slate of speakers this year, according to leaders of the Division of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.

“How the Experts Treat Hematologic Malignancies,” held in Kauai from Jan. 22 to 25, attracted more that 80 physicians, nurses and researchers to sessions on advances in the treatment of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, including novel drug development, immunotherapy and the role and timing of autologous and allogeneic transplantation.

Distinguished faculty included these physicians:

Lymphoma: James Armitage, M.D., Richard Fisher, M.D., John Leonard, M.D., Alexandra Levine, M.D., Leslie Popplewell, M.D., Auayporn Nademanee, M.D. and Jasmine Zain, M.D.

Leukemia: Frederick Applebaum, M.D., Stephen J. Forman, M.D., Kanti Rai, M.D., and David Snyder, M.D., Steve Coutre, M.D. on leukemia

Myelodysplasia: Richard Stone, M.D.

Multiple myeloma: Kenneth Anderson, M.D., Sagar Lonial, M.D., Amrita Krishnan, M.D. Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia: Steven Treon, M.D.

Applebaum is an editor, along with Forman, on “Thomas’ Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.” Armitage was past president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Fisher is an internationally known expert in biologic research and treatment of lymphoma, while Rai’s name is synonymous with the classification system for chronic lymphocytic lymphoma that he and coworkers developed in the ‘70s. Lastly, Anderson is a renowned expert in myeloma and medical director of Kraft Family Blood Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.