Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a common complication in patients with acute leukemia and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Information on platelet transfusion practice in patients following ICH is limited, so researchers assessed clinical features and outcomes to better guide transfusion practices after ICH. Shannon Nixon, NP, of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre at the University of Toronto, discussed the findings at the ASH Annual Meeting on December 3, 2018.

Improved monitoring of pediatric patients undergoing blood and marrow transplant (BMT) may result in better precision symptom management strategies. Mobile health and wearable technologies may aid in such efforts by providing data on complex symptom patterns, trajectories, and interactions. Researchers conducted a pilot study and found that integrating mobile health technology into care was feasible, although they had concerns about compliance. Nirmish Shah, MD, of Duke University School of Medicine in Raleigh, NC, discussed the findings at the ASH Annual Meeting on December 3, 2018.

Researchers in Spain developed the Geriatric Assessment in Hematology (GAH) scale to classify patients as robust (those with strength or vigorous health) or frail (those with a poorer prognosis). The tool is validated for use in myelodysplastic syndromes, acute myeloid leukemia, multiple myeloma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Researchers assessed its use and validity among patients with lymphoma. Raul Cordoba, MD, PhD, of Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital in Madrid, Spain, discussed the findings at the ASH Annual Meeting on December 3, 2018.

With more than 70% of Americans supporting expanded Medicare, the single-payer Medicare for All rallying cry has gained significant support among progressives and moderates alike. A recent editorial report makes the case for its adoption with strong evidence from an economic point of view. During the November 2018 midterm election campaign, many incumbent Republicans—some of whom previously voted to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act—now promised to uphold sections of the law, including protections for pre-existing conditions as their most important campaign commitment.

Germline mutations in DDX41 may increase a patient’s lifetime risk of late-onset myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Identification of this germline mutation leads to more timely and appropriate care for patients with myeloid neoplasms, according to a study. Sarah Bannon, MS, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, discussed the findings at the ASH Annual Meeting on December 2, 2018.

Although patients with Hodgkin lymphoma can experience long-term survival, they may face difficulty in coping with treatment-related adverse outcomes. Researchers assessed the needs of lymphoma survivors and their caregivers and identified unmet patient-oriented research needs: quality of life after treatment, messaging and communication between the scientific community and patients, and emotional well-being. Jackelyn B. Payne, MPH, BS, BA, of Stony Brook University in New York, discussed the findings at the ASH Annual Meeting on December 2, 2018.

Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) often experience long-term survival after initial anthracycline-containing therapy; however, relapse leads to poor outcomes. Some patients with relapsed or refractory disease may receive additional chemoimmunotherapy followed by hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), but as many as 50% of patients cannot undergo HCT because of lack of response to chemoimmunotherapy or comorbidities. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy may be an option for those patients, but real-world data on CAR T-cell therapy for DLBCL are limited.

Older patients are at increased risk for complications and death following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT), and traditional transplant-specific prognostic indices such as the hematopoietic cell transplant comorbidity index (HCT-CI) may not adequately predict survival. Researchers found that routine pretransplant assessments by interdisciplinary clinical providers, including advanced practice providers and nursing staff, may uncover additional geriatric deficits. Richard J.

Advanced practice providers (APPs) may have limited subspecialty training options for hematology, and postgraduate fellowships focused on education in both malignant and nonmalignant hematologic disorders appear to be lacking for APPs. Yi L. Hwa, DNP, of the division of hematology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, discussed the findings of a research team’s web-based needs assessment survey that found significant gaps in subspecialty hematology training for APPs at the ASH Annual Meeting on December 1, 2018.

No molecular-informed personalized therapies are currently available for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM); however, cytogenetics and next-generation sequencing (NGS) can identify molecular abnormalities to provide guidance for more targeted therapy. Tarek Assi, MD, of Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus in Villejuif, France, discussed his research team’s findings that tumor genotyping is associated with higher response rates and prolonged duration of therapy at the ASH Annual Meeting on December 1, 2018.