NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Offers Research-Based Care for Patients with LeukemiaThe care of patients with leukemiarequires a multidisciplinary approachthat brings together all of the individualsinvolved in a patient's management. Itstarts with expert pathologists whomake the diagnosis, continues withexperienced hematologists/oncologistswho design a personalized regimen oftherapy, oncology nurses to delivertreatment and help manage side effects,and social workers and other supportstaff to help ease a patient's journeywith cancer.

Such is the approach taken by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, which offers comprehensive and compassionate carefor patients of all ages with acute andchronic leukemias and other myelopro-liferative disorders, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and bone marrowfailure. Our internationally renowned clinicians also collaborate with basicscience investigators through a robusttranslational research program aimed atclarifying the molecular underpinningsof leukemia in an effort to identify noveltargets for potentially more effectivetherapies.

An Expert Team: Each patient's carebegins with an accurate diagnosis, madeby a world-renowned team of patholo-

gists who specialize in the diagnosis ofhematological disorders, particularlythose related to myeloid biology. In addi-tion to medical oncologists and oncologynurses, patients have access to a teamof specialists in infectious diseases,geriatrics, gastroenterology, cardiology,nephrology, neurology, pulmonary andcritical care medicine, psychiatry, socialwork, and nutrition, among others. Suchcomprehensive care ensures that all of apatient's healthcare needs can be met inone location.

Outpatient and Inpatient Care: Ourcoordinated team approach, featuringhighly trained ancillary support for thesepatients' special needs, enables us todeliver many therapies on an outpatientbasis, allowing patients to leave the hospital at the end of the day to be withtheir families. Patients can receive theirtreatment in brightly lit and comfortableinfusion centers. Those whose treatmentnecessitates an inpatient stay also benefit from an expert team and comprehensive care.

Bone Marrow and Stem CellTransplantation: Patients come to theBone Marrow and Hematopoietic StemCell Transplantation Program atNewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill

Cornell Medical Center from the tri-state region, across the nation, andaround the globe. Accredited by theFoundation for the Accreditation ofCellular Therapy (FACT), this programutilizes state-of-the-art technologies to provide the most comprehensive care available for patients with leukemia or other hematologic disorders requiring bone marrow orstem cell transplantation.

Specialized Care for Older Patients:NewYork-Presbyterian treats many older patients with acute leukemias with less intensive therapies, such asarsenic trioxide or the investigationaldrug tipifarnib. Patients start with one of these low-intensity regimens and do not receive more intensive standard therapies unless theirleukemia persists. This approach sparessome patients from the side effectsassociated with traditional chemothera-py. Our oncologists work closely withgeriatric medicine specialists to ensurethat our older patients receive state-of-the-art comprehensive care.

ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA (AML) CELLS

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FOCUSONCOLOGY in

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital features two of the country’s top cancer centers: the National Cancer Institute-designatedHerbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center of Columbia University Medical Center (one of only three comprehensive NCI-designated cancer centers in New York State) and the Weill Cornell Cancer Center.

"In 2012, Weill Cornell Medical Center will have at least 5 clinical trials openfor patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia, including severalspecifically designed for older patients. This reflects our ongoing efforts to"personalize" AML treatment by trying different strategies based on specificbiologic features of each patient's disease. We hope that the current "onesize fits none" standard treatment approaches will eventually be replaced by much more tailored regimens." — Gail J. Roboz, MD

622 W. 168th StreetNew York, NY 10032

Research-based care for acute and chronicleukemias and other myeloproliferative disorders

Non-ProfitUS Postage

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Excellence in MDS Management:Both NewYork-Presbyterian campuses— Weill Cornell Medical Center andColumbia University Medical Center —have been designated as Centers ofExcellence for treating MDS, which can progress to acute leukemia. Both programs offer clinical trials evaluating new drugs and new combi-nations of existing drugs for patientswhose disease stops responding tostandard therapies.

Clinical Trials and TranslationalResearch: While progress has beenmade in treating cancers such aschronic myelogenous leukemia, adultacute leukemias still remain a signifi-cant clinical challenge. Patients withleukemia who come to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital for their carehave access to clinical trials assessingnovel therapies with a goal of improvingoutcomes.

Patients benefit from a network of cutting-edge collaborations amongrenowned translational scientists with specific expertise in the study ofleukemia stem cells, genomics, andepigenetics. These fields hold the mostpromise for paving new avenues ofleukemia treatment that offer morepromise than conventional therapies.

NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill CornellThe study of leukemia stem cells,which lead to relapse, and explo-ration of novel drugs to block theirgrowth. NewYork-Presbyterianresearchers specialize in the designand development of clinical trials tar-geting leukemia stem cells, both asinitial therapy and during the post-remission period, for the eradication ofleukemia stem cells.

A clinical trial of decitabine and plerixafor for older patients (age 60-plus) newly diagnosed with AML. Thisstudy features an evaluation of eachpatient's leukemia stem cells at diagnosis and during remission.Combining plerixafor with decitabineas induction and post-remission ther-apy for these patients could improveoutcomes via the mobilization ofleukemia stem cells and alteration ofthe pharmacodynamics of decitabine.

NewYork-Presbyterian/ColumbiaEvaluation of lenalidomide to treatadult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.Lenalidomide alters the immune system and may have anti-angiogenicproperties. It is approved for treatingMDS and multiple myeloma, but itsuse for adult T-cell leukemia/lym-phoma is considered investigational.

A phase II study to assess the safety and efficacy of an intensive pediatric drug regimen in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The primary endpoint of this study is the feasibilityof the intensification therapy, meas-ured as the percentage of patientswho, having achieved a completeremission after induction therapy,receive more than 25 weeks of intravenous PEG-asparaginase as part of intensification therapy.

Examples of our clinical investigations include:

For 11 consecutive years, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has been listed on the prestigious “Honor Roll” of the U.S.News & World Report “Best Hospitals” survey, and is ranked #1 in the New York metro area. NewYork-Presbyterianhas the most physicians listed in New York Magazine’s “Best Doctors” issue and is recognized by Castle Connolly forhaving more top doctors than any other hospital in the nation.

To refer a patient to our Leukemia Programs, please call:NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center 212-305-5098 NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center 646-962-2700 For more information, visit nyp.org/cancer.