Aggressive Lymphomas

This session on aggressive lymphomas will focus on rapidly expanding genomic knowledge as applied to diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutics. Large data sets of karyotypes, copy number abnormalities, and mutations are now available in sometimes overwhelming detail. Session 1 will summarize the most important known genomic abnormalities in T cell lymphomas; session 2 will summarize the key genomic changes in B cell lymphomas; and session 3 will focus on how these genetic abnormalities can be used to tailor therapy at relapse.

Dr. David Weinstock will discuss recent advances in our understanding of the pathobiology of T-cell lymphomas, focusing on genetic alterations with diagnostic, prognostic or therapeutic relevance. He will review issues that have complicated the development of precision medicine for patients with T-cell lymphomas and discuss newer approaches for extending genomic, transcriptional and phenotypic platforms for disease assessment.

Dr. Lisa Rimsza will discuss genomic abnormalities in B-cell lymphoma. This talk will cover disease-defining abnormalities including high grade B cell lymphomas with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 translocations, RNA expression patterns in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, key gene amplifications, prognostic and predictive mutations, and clonal heterogeneity.

Dr. Jonathon Cohen will discuss the development of novel therapies in the management of relapsed/refractory lymphoma. He will review the most promising classes of agents including targeted therapies, antibody-drug conjugates, and cellular therapies, and will review the role of molecular diagnostics in therapy selection.