For Immediate Release
January 7, 2005

Roswell Park Offers Update On Advances for Treatment of Hematologic Disorders

BUFFALO, NY – Attendance at annual meetings of national scientific and medical organizations is important but an activity that time and schedules don’t always allow.  If you're a physician, scientist or health professional who was unable to attend the most recent annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) will present a program, "American Society of Hematology (ASH) Review" Saturday, January 15, 7:30 am – 12:15 pm, in the Research Studies Center, RPCI, Elm & Carlton Streets.

The program will provide a summary of the latest data and research findings in myeloma, benign hematological disorders, transplantation, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, acute and chronic  leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes as presented at the 46th Annual Meeting of ASH, held December 4-7 in San Diego, CA.  The RPCI program will focus on how these new data and results impact the care of cancer patients. 

Ronald L. Sham, MD, Hematology/Internal Medicine, Rochester General Hospital, is an invited speaker. RPCI faculty presenters include Maria R. Baer, MD, Asher A. Chanan-Khan, MD, Francisco J. Hernandez-Ilizaliturri, MD, Philip L. McCarthy, Jr., MD, Swaminathan Padmanabhan, MD, MBBS, and Meir Wetzler, MD, Department of Medicine.

 "The annual meeting of ASH highlights important new advances in the diagnosis and management of major malignant and benign hematologic disorders," said Dr. Baer, Leukemia Service.  "The Roswell Park program offers area physicians, scientists and other health professionals an opportunity to discuss appropriate uses for newly approved drugs and therapies. These new treatments will improve the care of people living with cancer."

RPCI is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians and has designated this program for 4.5 credit hours in Category 1 of the American Medical Association's Physician's Recognition Award. The University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmaceutical education and has designated this program for 4.5 contact hours.

The "American Society of Hematology (ASH) Review" is supported in part by Novartis Oncology, Genentech and IDEC.  For more information, call 716-845-8686. To register on-line visit www.roswellpark.org, then go to Education and select Continuing Professional Education.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.
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