MARCH 2025 TIP SHEET
Blood Cancer
Study: Florida Leukemia Rates Rising Rapidly as Population Ages
Driven by a steady influx of retirees, Florida now has the highest leukemia rates of any U.S. state and the disease is the fastest-rising cancer type statewide, according to new research from Syvester. The study, published in Blood Neoplasia, also identified a problematic mismatch between the location of Florida’s leukemia “hotspots” and the availability of comprehensive treatment.
Sylvester Study Leads to New Treatment Guidelines for Follicular Lymphoma
Sylvester research on a treatment regimen for follicular lymphoma has now been codified in an influential set of clinical guidelines released in February by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. The guidelines greenlight a combination of two drugs – rituximab and loncastuximab tesirine (Zynlonta) – for third-line and subsequent therapy in patients with classic forms of the cancer. “With this combination, the patient is able to receive a very effective therapy for only six months, when other options require a longer treatment period,” explained Juan Alderuccio, M.D., Sylvester hematologist and lymphoma specialist who initiated the phase 2 clinical trial to test the therapy.
Brain Cancer
Suppressing Key Protein May Unlock Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma remains one of the toughest cancers to treat, resisting even the latest advances in immunotherapy, but new Sylvester research suggests a potential new path forward. The findings, which appeared March 17 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, indicated that suppressing a protein called ZNF638 triggered an antiviral immune response, thereby boosting the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors. The discovery not only offers a potential new treatment but also identifies ZNF638 as a biomarker that could personalize immunotherapy for patients.
Lung Cancer
Updated Guidelines for Lung Cancer Screening Expanded Access, But Gaps Remain for Rural and Uninsured Populations
When lung cancer screening guidelines were updated in 2021 to include younger people and those with a lighter smoking history, the number of screenings increased. However, significant gaps remain, especially among people with limited access to healthcare, according to a recent study by Sylvester. Discrepancies for who is screened persist, underscoring the importance of addressing structural barriers in rural and underserved populations, the researchers noted. The findings were published March 20 in JAMA Oncology.
Cancer Treatment & Quality of Life
Sylvester Researchers Study Quality of Life During Immunotherapy Treatment
Immunotherapy has been a game-changer in oncology, providing new options for many people with advanced or metastatic cancer who previously had limited treatment choices. But these new drugs can cause unique side effects that experts are striving to better understand, according to Patricia Moreno, Ph.D., lead of Evidence-Based Survivorship Care at Sylvester. Moreno and co-investigators Jose Lutzky, M.D., and Gilberto Lopes, M.D., have been awarded a $5.2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to follow patients for two years to gain a better understanding of immunotherapy side effects.
Cancer Philanthropy
A Picture of Hope and Healing Benefits Sylvester’s Innovative Research
The Pap Corps Champions for Cancer Research recently tapped into its artistic talents to host Art in the Park – A Gallery of Hope, its signature art auction fundraiser to support innovative research at Sylvester. Since its founding in 1952, The Pap Corps has donated more than $110 million to cancer research. In 2016, the organization made a historic $50-million pledge to Sylvester, thereby solidifying its position as one of Sylvester’s longest and most generous benefactors.
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