CONTACT: Andrea Greif, (914) 821-8958

Oct. 16th Telephone Education Program Features Pediatric Oncology Expert Barton A. Kamen, M.D., Ph.D., the Society's Chief Medical Officer

WHITE PLAINS, NY - Parents and caregivers of children with leukemia and lymphoma can learn about treatment options and clinical trials during a free telephone education workshop led by Barton A. Kamen, M.D., Ph.D., the Society's chief medical officer.
 
Exploring Progress in Childhood Leukemia and Lymphoma is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 16, noon - 1 p.m. ET.  Dr. Kamen will discuss treatment updates and clinical issues for pediatric blood cancers. His presentation will cover current treatments, clinical trials and follow-up care for childhood leukemias and lymphomas. A question-and-answer period will follow.

Dr. Kaman says that the greatest progress made in the past 20 years in treating children with leukemia and lymphoma is not in the discovery of new drugs, but in using existing drugs better to minimize the toxicity and the late affects of treatment.

"Using molecular profiles of patients, understanding the biology of the child, knowing who is going to relapse, who is high risk vs. low risk, being able to tailor their therapy - that's where we have seen the advances," said Dr. Kamen, who also is professor of pediatrics and pharmacology at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Sponsored by the Society, the program is supported by a grant from The Jeff Gordon Foundation. Nurses and social workers that participate in the program may earn 1.0 Continuing Education contact hours.

Registration
To register, call toll free (866) 992-9950, ext. 301, or toll free fax (888) 991-9951; email llspeds@rmei.com (enter "Pediatric" in the subject field); or visit www.lls.org/survivorship, www.lls.org/leukemiaeducation or www.lls.org/lymphomaeducation. Registrants will receive an information packet and toll-free dial-in number within seven to 10 days of signing up.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, headquartered in White Plains, NY, with 68 chapters in the United States and Canada, is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. The Society's mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, the Society has invested more than $550 million in research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Last year alone, the Society made 5.1 million contacts with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals.

For more information about blood cancer, visit www.LLS.org or call the Society's Information Resource Center (IRC), a call center staffed by master's-level professionals who provide information, support and resources to patients and their families and caregivers. IRC information specialists are available at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.