AnneMarie Block

PhD, FACMG
Cytogenetics

Cancers Treated:


About AnneMarie Block

Biography:

Dr. AnneMarie W. Block joined the staff of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Roswell Park) in 1985 as a Cancer Research Scientist and Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory Supervisor. She was appointed Director, Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in 1988.

Dr. Block earned her doctoral degree in Physiology at UB in 1986. She is a Founding Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics, a diplomate of the American Board of Medical Genetics (Clinical Cytogenetics, 1990), and has a New York State Certificate of Qualification as a Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory Director.

Dr. Block is actively involved in graduate medical education and is the course coordinator for “Oncology for Scientists” (RPN 530-532) a year-long comprehensive survey course offered through the Roswell Park Graduate Division.

Dr. Block is a member of Cancer and Leukemia Group B, Children’s Oncology Group, American Society of Human Genetics, American Society of Hematology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association for Cancer Research, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Association of Genetic Technologists, Association of Women in Science, American Association of University Women, Sigma Xi, American Society of Clinical Pathologists, American Association for Cancer Education, Inc., and the New York Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Block has authored or co-authored more than 150 journal publications, book chapters and abstracts. She is Assistant Editor for the journal Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics.

Positions

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Laboratory Director, Cytogenetics Lab
  • Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
  • Associate Professor of Oncology

State University of New York at Buffalo

  • Member, Cancer Pathology and Prevention
  • Roswell Park Graduate Division
  • Assistant Research Professor, Pathology & Anatomical Sciences

Canisius College

  • Adjunct Research Professor of Biology

Background

Education and Training:

  • 1986 - PhD - Physiology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY

Research

Research Overview:

Dr. Block’s research interests focus on chromosome abnormalities in B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders with an emphasis on tracking patient progress, survival, response to treatment and aid in therapeutic decision-making; mitogenic stimulation of human B cells; sister chromatid exchange analysis; chromosome aberration analysis; and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.


Publications

  • Sher T, Miller KC, Lawrence D, Whitworth A, Hernandez-Ilizaliturri F, Czuczman MS, Miller A, Lawrence W, Bilgrami SA, Sood R, Wood MT, Block AW, Lee K, Chanan-Khan AA. Efficacy of lenalidomide in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia with high-risk cytogenetics. Leuk Lymphoma. 2010 Jan;51(1):85-8. doi: 10.3109/10428190903406806. PMID: 20055660.
  • Morrison C, Miecznikowski J, Darcy KM, Dolce JM, Kandel E, Erwin DO, Liu S, Shepherd L, Cohn D, McMeekin DS, Block AW, Nowak NJ, Maxwell L. A GOG 210 aCGH study of gain at 1q23 in endometrioid endometrial cancer in the context of racial disparity and outcome. Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2010 Sep;49(9):791-802. doi: 10.1002/gcc.20782. PMID: 20607851.
  • Wetzler M, Wang E, Thompson J, Baer M, Block AM, Sait S, Barcos M, Tighe S, Ford LA, Andrews C, Baumann H. Priming with arsenic trioxide improves the outcome of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia patients <60 years old treated with high-dose cytarabine and idarubicin. Haematologica. 2010 Jun;95(Suppl. 2):Abstract #64
  • Derby L, Pendurti G, Deeb G, Sait S, Block A, Hernandez-Ilizaliturri FJ. Blastoid variant of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is associated with P53 abnormalities and have a shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) despite upfront chemo-immunotherapy followed by high dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell support (HDC-ASCS). Blood 2010; 116(21):1773. doi: 10.1182/blood.V116.21.1773.1773.
  • Lee HJ, Trump D, Johnson CS, Wang ES, Thompson JE, Griffiths EA, Vigil CE, Barcos M, Block A, Sait S, Ford LA, Wilding G, Wei T, Muindi J, Wetzler M. Subnormal vitamin D levels are associated with adverse outcome in newly-diagnosed similarly-treated adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Blood. 2010 Nov;116(21):1041-1041. doi: 10.1182/blood.V116.21.1041.1041.
  • Block AW, Thompson JE, Wang ES, Starostik P, Deeb G, Sait SN, Ford L, Wilding GE, Groman AE, Wetzler M. The role of FLT3 in sole trisomy 8 acute myeloid leukemia. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2010 May 20;28(15 Suppl.):6562-6562. doi: 10.1200/jco.2010.28.15_suppl.6562.
  • Harb AJ, Tan W, Wilding GE, Ford L, Sait SN, Block AW, Barcos M, Wallace PK, Wang ES, Wetzler M. Treating octogenarian and nonagenarian acute myeloid leukemia patients—predictive prognostic models. Cancer. 2009 Jun 1;115(11):2472-81. doi: 10.1002/cncr.24285. PMID: 19322894; PMCID: PMC2688783.
  • Varadarajan R, Ford L, Sait SN, Block AW, Barcos M, Wallace PK, Ramnath N, Wang ES, Wetzler M. Metachronous and synchronous presentation of acute myeloid leukemia and lung cancer. Leuk Res. 2009 Sep;33(9):1208-11. doi: 10.1016/j.leukres.2008.12.016. Epub 2009 Jan 31. PMID: 19181380; PMCID: PMC2749654.
  • Noor SJ, Tan W, Wilding GE, Ford LA, Barcos M, Sait SN, Block AW, Thompson JE, Wang ES, Wetzler M. Myeloid blastic transformation of myeloproliferative neoplasms—a review of 112 cases. Leuk Res. 2011 May;35(5):608-13. doi: 10.1016/j.leukres.2010.07.031. Epub 2010 Aug 19. PMID: 20727590; PMCID: PMC3017628.
  • Vigil C, Block AW, Wetzler M. The significance of quantifiable residual normal karyotype hematopoietic cells for toxicity and outcome. Leuk Lymphoma. 2011 Jun;52(6):943. doi: 10.3109/10428194.2011.580479. PMID: 21599589.
  • Arana-Yi C, Block AW, Sait SN, Ford LA, Barcos M, Baer MR. Therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia following treatment of acute myeloid leukemia: possible role of cytarabine. Leuk Res. 2008 Jul;32(7):1043-8. doi: 10.1016/j.leukres.2007.11.006. Epub 2008 Feb 21. PMID: 18093651.
  • Mrózek K, Carroll AJ, Maharry K, Rao KW, Patil SR, Pettenati MJ, Watson MS, Arthur DC, Tantravahi R, Heerema NA, Koduru PR, Block AW, Qumsiyeh MB, Edwards CG, Sterling LJ, Holland KB, Bloomfield CD. Central review of cytogenetics is necessary for cooperative group correlative and clinical studies of adult acute leukemia: the Cancer and Leukemia Group B experience. Int J Oncol. 2008 Aug;33(2):239-44. PMID: 18636143; PMCID: PMC3607284.
  • Bartos JD, Gaile DP, McQuaid DE, Conroy JM, Darbary H, Nowak NJ, Block A, Petrelli NJ, Mittelman A, Stoler DL, Anderson GR. aCGH local copy number aberrations associated with overall copy number genomic instability in colorectal cancer: coordinate involvement of the regions including BCR and ABL. Mutat Res. 2007 Feb 3;615(1-2):1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2006.09.006. Epub 2007 Jan 2. PMID: 17196995; PMCID: PMC1866266.
  • Abdelhalim A, Barcos M, Block AW, Sait SN, Starostik P, Wetzler M, Wang ES. Remission of Philadelphia chromosome-positive central nervous system leukemia after dasatinib therapy. Leuk Lymphoma. 2007 May;48(5):1053-6. doi: 10.1080/10428190701258370. PMID: 17487757.
  • Battiwalla M, Sait S, Block AW, Kebbewar I, Ahluwalia MS, Timm EA, Wallace PK. Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) followed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to determine clonal origins of cells in Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with paroxysmal nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH). Blood. 2007 Nov; 110(11):4623-4623. doi: 10.1182/blood.V110.11.4623.4623.
  • Noor S, Tan W, Wilding G, Ford LA, Barcos M, Sait SNJ, Block AW, Thompson JE, Wang ES, Wetzler M. Myeloid Blastic Transformation of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms - A Review of 113 Cases. Blood. 2009 Nov; 114(22):3113-3113. doi: 10.1182/blood.V114.22.3113.3113.
  • Varadarajan R, Licht A, Hyland AJ, Ford LA, Barcos M, Sait SNJ, Block AW, Baer MR, Thompson JE, Wang ES, Wetzler M. Smoking Adversely Affects Survival in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients. Blood. 2009 Nov 20;114(22):979. doi: 10.1182/blood.V114.22.979.979.
  • Lee HJ, Wright KM, Kandeel E, Tan W, Wilding GE, Ford LA, Sait SN, Block AMW, Barcos MP, McCarthy PL, Vigil CE, Griffiths EA, Thompson JE, Wang ES, Wallace PK, Wetzler M. The role of minimal residual disease (MRD) by flow cytometry (FC) in predicting outcome in similarly treated acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2011 May;29(15 Suppl.):6592-6592. doi: 10.1200/jco.2011.29.15_suppl.6592.
  • Wetzler M, Andrews C, Ford LA, Tighe S, Barcos M, Sait SN, Block AW, Nowak NJ, Baer MR, Wang ES, Baumann H. Phase 1 study of arsenic trioxide, high-dose cytarabine, and idarubicin to down-regulate constitutive signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 activity in patients aged <60 years with acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer. 2011 Nov 1;117(21):4861-8. doi: 10.1002/cncr.26097. Epub 2011 Mar 31. PMID: 21456022; PMCID: PMC3129468.
  • Lee HJ, Licht AS, Hyland AJ, Ford LA, Sait SN, Block AW, Barcos M, Baer MR, Wang ES, Wetzler M. Is obesity a prognostic factor for acute myeloid leukemia outcome? Ann Hematol. 2012 Mar;91(3):359-65. doi: 10.1007/s00277-011-1319-8. Epub 2011 Sep 21. PMID: 21935651; PMCID: PMC4469945.
  • Morzek K, Marcucci G, Maharry K, Nicolet D, Becker H, Whitman SP, Metzeler KH, Schwind S, Wu YZ, Kohlschmidt J, Pettenati MJ, Koduru PRK, Heerema NA, Block AW, Patil SR, Baer MR, Kolitz JE, Moore JO, Carroll AJ, Larson RA, Bloomfield CD. Prognostic Utility of the European LeukemiaNet (ELN) Genetic-Risk Classification in Adults with De Novo Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): A Study of 1,550 Patients (Pts). Blood 2011 Nov;118(21):414-414. doi: 10.1182/blood.V118.21.414.414.
  • Smonskey MT, Block AW, Deeb G, Chanan-Khan AA, Bernstein ZP, Miller KC, Wallace PK, Starostik P. Monoallelic and biallelic deletions of 13q14.3 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: FISH vs miRNA RT-qPCR detection. Am J Clin Pathol. 2012 Apr;137(4):641-6. doi: 10.1309/AJCPP31FSSRQTTAQ. PMID: 22431542.
  • Varadarajan R, Licht AS, Hyland AJ, Ford LA, Sait SN, Block AW, Barcos M, Baer MR, Wang ES, Wetzler M. Smoking adversely affects survival in acute myeloid leukemia patients. Int J Cancer. 2012 Mar 15;130(6):1451-8. doi: 10.1002/ijc.26151. Epub 2011 Aug 2. PMID: 21520043; PMCID: PMC3202035.
  • Minderman H, Arcadi JC, Wierzbicki A, Wang ES, Sait SNJ, Block AW, Liang L, George T, Wallace PK. Detection of Numerical Chromosome Aberrations in Rare Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Cells. Haematologica 2009 Jun;94(Suppl. 2):0037
  • Padmanabhan S, Block AW, Wallace P, Tan W, Nowak N, Varadarajan P, Barcos M, Hernandez F, Ketepalli S, Wilding G, Czuczman M, Chanan-Khan A. Concomitant z score and ZAP 70 along with ATM deletion identifies patients with poor survival from the RPCI Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Series: A correlation of treatment and survival of B-CLL patients with prognostic variables such as fish, ZAP70 expression, CGH. Haematologica. 2008;93(Suppl. 1):416(Abstract #1053)
  • Sardesai SD, Tan W, Ford LA, Deeb G, Block AMW, Sait SNJ, McCarthy PL, Vigil CE, Griffiths EA, Thompson JE, Wang ES, Wallace PK, Wetzler M.Predicting outcome based on minimal residual disease (MRD) using multiparameter flow cytometry (FC) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients (Pts): ASCO Meeting Abstracts Part 1. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2012 May 20;30(15 Suppl.):6565-6565. doi: 10.1200/jco.2012.30.15_suppl.6565.
  • Minderman H, Humphrey K, Arcadi JK, Wierzbicki A, Maguire O, Wang ES, Block AW, Sait SN, George TC, Wallace PK. Image cytometry-based detection of aneuploidy by fluorescence in situ hybridization in suspension. Cytometry A. 2012 Sep;81(9):776-84. doi: 10.1002/cyto.a.22101. Epub 2012 Jul 26. PMID: 22837074; PMCID: PMC4384178.