PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Research Program has awarded funding for several research initiatives focused on improving treatment and quality of life for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, with financial support provided by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
The projects aim to address challenges in managing CML, including optimizing use of available therapies and reducing the impact of treatment-related side effects, which can require dose adjustments or changes in therapy and affect patient outcomes.
Outcomes for patients with CML have improved over the past 25 years following the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which have allowed many patients to achieve near-normal life expectancy.
Despite those advances, researchers continue to examine ways to improve long-term care and better integrate newer treatment options, particularly as more patients live with CML as a chronic condition.
The selected projects include efforts to develop digital communication tools to guide treatment decisions, apply artificial intelligence to monitor treatment response and adverse events, evaluate variations in clinical management and expand pharmacist-led symptom monitoring.
Funded researchers include Larry D. Cripe of Indiana University’s Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Edgar Jaimes of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Nikolai Podoltsev of Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital, and Kimberly Webster of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.
“It is particularly important to take long-term quality of life into account when people are dealing with a chronic cancer,” said Crystal S. Denlinger, chief executive officer of NCCN.
The projects were selected through a peer-review process conducted by a scientific review committee that included oncologists from NCCN member institutions.
The research initiatives are expected to be completed within two years.
Novartis, which provided funding for the program, has been involved in the development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors used in CML treatment.
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