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Blood cancer
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2024 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition: leading the future of blood disease research
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The American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition is a global event where experts come together to share the latest insights and research on blood diseases. This year’s meeting in San Diego, California featured new data on treatments and strategies that could change how blood cancers are treated.
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Closing the gap in cancer care
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Many presentations at ASH 2024 focused on the need to close gaps in access to care. Patients in underserved communities or those with limited resources often struggle to get the latest treatments. A patient advocate presented a poster highlighting findings from two Multiple Myeloma (MM) Health Equity Summits, where patients and patient advocates discussed their experiences and barriers when trying to access equitable treatments. The discussions showed that access is affected by race, socioeconomic determinants, and perceptions of the healthcare system. This poster presentation summarized recommended steps for healthcare teams and policymakers to take for improving access to treatments for disadvantaged patients and for redressing historic inequities. Solutions were focused on ways to expand awareness, understanding, and access to care.
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The need for ongoing research
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Ongoing research is key to identifying new ways to treat blood cancers. ASH 2024 highlighted progress in some of the latest innovative treatments for blood cancers, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and bispecific antibodies. The latest research on these treatments shared at ASH highlighted their potential uses for certain groups of patients with blood cancers and other topics relevant to doctors. This type of late-breaking research is important for the scientific community so they can continue to learn how treatments work and how to best support their patients in their care journey.
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Real-world evidence transforming care
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The ASH Research Collaborative brings attention to the importance of real-world evidence (RWE) in advancing blood cancer treatments. RWE uses data from real-life care settings to understand how different patients respond to different therapies. Groups like the ASH Research Collaborative and the European HARMONY Alliance are collecting and studying this data on a large scale to refine treatments and improve outcomes. In addition to research from clinical trials, RWE can help doctors develop treatment plans for their patients.
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