Oral Therapies in Lymphoma and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Scientific Workshop Series

To raise awareness of the use of oral therapies in the treatment of lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) convened two national scientific workshops, seeking to better understand the role these therapies play in the treatment of cancer and the unique opportunities and challenges presented by the use of with oral therapeutic regimens.

The first meeting, held in September 2015, convened national experts from a diverse group of stakeholders including scientists, clinicians, policymakers, regulators, drug developers, and patients, and produced a set of recommendations outlining areas of future study. These included treatment planning and sequencing, combination therapy, and the development of novel targeted therapies. The challenges outlined included adherence, patient monitoring, toxicity management, and cost. Chief among these was adherence, an issue that emerged as likely to impact most other areas of drug development and clinical utility. For this reason, LRF’s scientific leadership determined a second meeting focused solely on this important issue was warranted.

In October of 2017 LRF convened the Adherence and Oral Therapies in Lymphoma and CLL Workshop. Through invited presentations and roundtable discussions, the faculty and attendees explored the complexities of patient nonadherence to oral anti-cancer therapy. This white paper has been developed to highlight key discussion items from the Workshop, including the ways in which nonadherence may contribute to poor treatment outcomes and lead to increased health care utilization.

Both workshops led the Foundation to develop the very first disease-specific resources focused on assisting patients using oral therapies to treat their lymphoma and CLL. From patient literature and live education programs to the nation’s first mobile app that allowed patients to monitor their medical and treatment-related side effects, LRF remains in the cutting edge in both understanding the use of these therapies and providing support to the lymphoma community.