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Welcome to LeukemiaLinks,
your monthly source of leukemia news, research
updates, clinical trials and events sponsored
by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
(LLS). For even more information, regularly
visit our Patient
Services and Disease
Information Web
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LLS Features
::READ MORE::
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Research
Roundup ::READ MORE::
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IRC Question of
the Month
:: READ
MORE::
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Inspirational
Stories
 Learn
how individuals touched by blood cancer
cope. The LLS LifeMosaic
Web feature offers hundreds of
inspiring stories by patients and families. Read
them or submit
your own. This month, read about Julie's
battle with AML.
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Here to
Help
For even more information,
regularly visit the LLS Web site, www.LLS.org, where many of our education programs
are archived free of charge for convenient
access 24/7.
If you haven't found what
you're looking for in LeukemiaLinks ,
please call our Information Resource Center
(IRC) to speak with trained information
specialists. IRC staff are available Monday
through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, toll free
at (800) 955-4572; email infocenter@lls.org; or click the "Live Patient Help" button
on the www.LLS.org homepage.
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Commentary
Learn
about new techniques for stem cell
transplants.
Clinical
Trials
We invite you to use
our LLS-supported TrialCheck® Web site
, a clinical trial search service that
offers patients and caregivers immediate access
to listings of all leukemia clinical
trials. Answer just a few simple questions and a
list of available clinical trials related to
your cancer will appear in an easy to read list
of search results.
You may also
want to visit the National Cancer Institute's Cancer
Trials Support Unit, providing resources and
information on Phase III cancer treatment trials
supported by the National Cancer
Institute. :: SELECTED
TRIALS::
Newsfeeds &
Podcasts
Now
you can get RSS Feeds and Podcasts from LLS.
:: CLICK HERE TO SIGN
UP::
Free
eNewsletters
Free LLS
eNewsletters deliver the latest information on
research and treatment options, patient services
programs and fundraising events.
::CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
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Archived
Educational Events
Experience archived
teleconferences and Webcasts free of charge,
anytime.
My
Personal CML Journey
LLS is proud to
offer My Personal CML
Journey, an interactive, online
video education program. The
feature follows the stories and experiences
of two chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)
survivors. Learn more.
My Personal Clinical Trials
Journey
Participate in this personalized
and interactive program that follows the stories
and experiences of three cancer survivors
who have participated in clinical
trials.
Co-Pay
Assistance Program Broadens Funding
Qualified patients with chronic
myelogenous leukemia can now receive up to
$5,000 in assistance from LLS' Co-Pay
Assistance Program. The aid helps
offset prescription drug co-pays and other
insurance-related expenses according to disease
diagnosis.
LLS
Advocacy
LLS's advocacy team represents
the needs of cancer patients and their
families in Washington, DC and state
capitals throughout the United States. We need
your help. Join our
Advocates Network and make your
voice
heard.
LLS
Blog
Celebrate our
blog's
birthday.
Two New Promotions
Support LLS's Mission
- Gap Inc's nationwide Give &
Get Program (March 12-15, 2009) will
benefit you with a special 30-percent
discount coupon good at all Gap, Old Navy and
Banana Republic stores. Five percent of all
net sales go to LLS. Click here for details.
- You can now have an LLS- or
TNT-branded VISA credit card, personalized
with any image you choose. LLS will receive
$50 for each card used plus a percentage of all
purchases. There's still time to receive your
card and use it with the Gap Give & Get
Program. Click
here for details.
Upcoming Telephone Education
Program
What: Myelodysplastic
Syndromes (MDS): Exploring Current and Emerging
Therapies
When:
Thursday, March 26, 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
ET
Guest Speaker: Alan List,
M.D., executive vice president,
physician-in-chief, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center
& Research Institute.
For more information, please call the IRC at
(800) 955-4572 or regularly check the calendar
section at www.LLS.org.
The Leukemia
& Lymphoma Society is committed to curing
blood cancers and helping patients and their
families. Learn
the many ways you can help advance
LLS's mission.
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Bendamustine is effective in p53-deficient
B-cell neoplasms and requires oxidative stress
and caspase-independent signaling ::READ MORE::
Extracorporeal photopheresis for the
treatment of steroid refractory acute
GVHD ::READ MORE::
Hairy cell leukemia: current
concepts ::READ MORE::
Long-term disease-free survival after
gemtuzumab, intermediate-dose cytarabine and
mitoxantrone in patients with CD33+ primary
resistant or relapsed acute myeloid
leukemia ::READ MORE::
Rituximab in combination with high-dose
methylprednisolone for the treatment of
fludarabine refractory high-risk chronic
lymphocytic leukemia
::READ MORE::
Therapy insight: management of cardiovascular
disease in patients with cancer and cardiac
complications of cancer therapy ::READ MORE::
Efficacy and safety of dasatinib in
imatinib-resistant or -intolerant patients with
chronic myeloid leukemia in blast phase
leukemia ::READ MORE::
>
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top
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Selected Trials
A Phase Ib Study of ISF35 in
Combination with Chemotherapy (FCR) in Subjects
with Relapsed, Refractory and/or 17p- CLL
::READ MORE::
Phase III: Compare Bosutinib to
Imatinib in Subjects with Newly Diagnosed
Chronic Phase Philadelphia Chromosome Positive
CML ::READ MORE::
Phase III: Lumiliximab with
Fludarabine, Cyclophosphamide and Rituximab
Versus FCR Alone in Subjects with Relapsed
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia ::READ MORE::
Phase II: Treosulfan,
Fludarabine and Total-Body Irradiation in
Treating Patients with Hematological Cancers
Undergoing Donor Umbilical Cord Blood
Transplant ::READ MORE::
Phase III: Maternal
Problem-Solving in Childhood Cancer ::READ MORE::
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IRC Question of
the Month
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Q: My health plan does
not cover some of the drugs and tests my
physician ordered to treat my leukemia. What can
I do?
A: If your
health plan denies a claim for treatment that
your physician thinks is medically necessary
there are a number of things you can do.
- Submit claims for all medical
expenses even if you are not sure they are
covered. Submit your bills as you receive them.
- Contact your health plan and
request a copy of your plan's coverage and
appeal process in writing. When you make the
call, get the name of the person you speak to
and take the opportunity to establish an ongoing
contact with a case manager with whom you can
discuss any future issues that may
arise.
- Start and maintain a file of
all claims, claims-related documents and
letters. In your file, keep a log of all calls
related to your health claims reimbursement.
Include the name of the person you spoke to and
the dates of all telephone calls you make or
receive.
- If you have submitted a claim
that was denied, re-submit the claim with a copy
of your denial letter. Ask your physician to
write a statement explaining the treatment or
services, the reason this treatment is medically
necessary for you and how you will benefit. Your
physician can also submit relevant peer-reviewed
medical journal articles to document that the
treatment is effective and necessary for your
care.
These steps may resolve the
claim. If not, you can submit the claim again
and request a peer review. This provides the
opportunity for your physician to discuss the
treatment in detail with other physicians in the
medical specialty. In
the meantime, get help from your physician's
office, your clinic or hospital to arrange to
delay payment until your claim is resolved.
You can request help from the
consumer services division of your state
insurance department or commission and/or
consider legal action if the claim is still not
resolved.
Here are more resources to help
you:
- LLS encourages you to
contact our Information Resource Center at (800)
955-4572 or email
us with any additional
questions.
- LLS also provides supplementary
financial assistance to patients in financial
need. We offer $500 per year toward
treatment-related expenses not covered by
insurance (including tests, blood transfusions,
chemotherapy, drugs, radiation therapy) and
transportation to and from treatment. For more
information about the Patient Financial
Aid Program, click
here.
- Listen to the audio
program Practical
Tips for Managing Your Financial & Insurance
Issues.
- Order the free booklet Financial
Health Matters and click
here for a printable guide of
questions to ask about denial of
coverage.
- The Medicare
Rights Center can help people
to navigate the Medicare system. Counselors
at (800) 333-4114 answer questions about
insurance options, Medicare rights and
protections, payment denials, appeals,
complaints about care or treatment and Medicare
bills.
- The Patient
Advocate Foundation (PAF) provides free
services to help with Medicaid, disability,
managed care, health insurance, medical debt and
employment discrimination issues. PAF offers
free legal assistance, in accordance with their
guidelines, to help people obtain benefits from
their insurance companies. You can contact PAF
at (800) 532-5274.
- Finally, the Cancer
Legal Resource Center provides free
information and resources about cancer-related
legal issues. The Center has a free telephone
assistance line at (866)
843-2572.
Please call our
Information Resource Center (IRC) to speak with
a trained information specialist. IRC staff are
available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6
p.m. ET, toll free at (800) 955-4572. Contact
us online or click the "Live
Patient Help" button on the www.LLS.org
homepage.
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unrestricted
educational grant
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Contact Us: The
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 1311 Mamaroneck
Ave., White Plains, NY 10605, (800)
955-4572
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