Scientific and educational activities

Annual Scientific SWG meeting

We held our Annual Scientific SWG meeting during the EHA2024 Congress in Madrid. This took place in Madrid, Spain, during June 2024.

Our session focused on therapeutic targeting of AML. This session provided a comprehensive overview on therapeutic targeting of splicing factors, mutated IDH1 and IDH2 enzymes, and the enzyme menin.

8th International Symposium on acute promyelocytic leukemia and 2nd national GIMEMA meeting

This two-day meeting took place from April 10–11, 2024 in Rome, Italy. It featured high-ranking, internationally renowned speakers in the field and addressed relevant clinical and biological aspects of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). It also included a Joint EHA-GIMEMA Study Group Symposium.

Additional aspects discussed during this symposium included:

  • Clonal hematopoiesis and prediction to AML
  • Classification and risk assessment of AML at diagnosis,
  • Treatment options for unfit elderly AML patients with focus on triplet therapies
  • Molecular MRD monitoring in AML

SWG business meeting at EHA2024

During the EHA2024 Congress in Madrid, the SWG organized an on-site business meeting which almost all members attended. During this meeting, SWG members:

  • Presented and discussed updates on ongoing research projects
  • Proposed new projects

20th Symposium of the European LeukemiaNet/22rd Symposium of the Kompetenznetz Leukämien

This meeting was held on April 9, 2024, at the Congress Center Rosengarten in in Mannheim, Germany.

SWG members took part in the following sessions:

  • Session 2: ‘WP5 AML Clinical trials involving the SWG: Discussion on potential areas of collaboration between European Academic AML trials and registries’ (Christoph Röllig and Gerwin Huls)
  • Session 12: ‘WP 12/13 on MRD monitoring and NGS analysis’ (Christian Thiede, Michael Heuser and Torsten Haferlach)

ELN Breakfast Meeting at ASH Annual Meeting

On December 8, 2024, SWG members took part in a meeting on ‘WP5 and WP12, Emerging therapies in AML and MRD monitoring.’

Overview of changes since the WHO 2017 Blue Book

In 2024, members of the SWG were actively involved in the creation of a manuscript/document that provides an overview of changes since the WHO 2017 Blue Book.

The manuscript was announced in a HemaSphere editorial and has been publicly available online since early 2024.

Precision hematology: Navigating the evolution of diagnostic classifications in the era of globalized medicine
Elizabeth Macintyre, Konstanze Döhner, Kirsten Grønbæk, Martin Dreyling, Brian Huntly, Antonio Almeida, John Gribben, for the EHA Board
HemaSphere, 2024 Apr 4;8(4):e65, doi.org/10.1002/hem3.65.

Collaborations on international projects involving the SWG

We’ve been involved in the joint HOVON and AMLSG clinical trials, which include a large number of international cooperators/study groups.

Translational work promoted by or involving the SWG

HARMONY projects

  • Measurable residual disease as a surrogate marker for survival in AML. (Principal investigator: Gert Ossenkoppele.)
  • Big data to evaluate the clinical impact of genomic alterations. (Principal investigator: Lars Bullinger.)
  • The validation of an appropriate blast threshold for AML definition: MDS/AML (10-19%) vs AML (≥20%) category. (Principal investigator: Jordi Esteve.)

Collaboration between HOVON and UK AML NCRI Group

This has focused on a novel AI-based prognostic scoring system for newly diagnosed AML patients who are over 60 years old and have been treated with intensive chemotherapy and allo-SCT in prospective randomised trials.

Risk stratification in older intensively treated patients with acute myeloid leukemia
Versluis J, Metzner M, Wang A, Gradowska P, Thomas A, Jakobsen NA, Kennedy A, Moore R, Boertjes E, Vonk CM, Kavelaars FG, Rijken M, Gilkes A, Schwab C, Beverloo HB, Manz M, Visser O, Van Elssen CHMJ, de Weerdt O, Tick LW, Biemond BJ, Vekemans MC, Freeman SD, Harrison CJ, Cook JA, Dennis M, Knapper S, Thomas I, Craddock C, Ossenkoppele, Lowenberg B, Russell N, Valk PJM*, Vyas P*. *Joint last authors.
Journal of Clinical Oncology. Sep 4:JCO2302631. doi: 10.1200/JCO.23.02631. (2024). PMID: 39231389.

Multi-center acute myeloid leukemia study

Full title: ‘Evaluating the prognostic impact of subclonal FLT3-ITD mutations in acute myeloid leukemia, a retrospective multicenter study on behalf of the EHA AML-SWG.’

So far, seven centers across Europe and Latin America have participated in this project.

Observational study on AML in pregnancy

Full title: ‘Observational study on AML in pregnancy: treatment and maternal and fetal outcomes: a retrospective and prospective study under the umbrella of the EHA SWG AML.’

This project is led by Nicola Fracchiolla and Francesco Passamonti from the Hematology Unit, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico in Milano, Italy. This project will involve centers from Italy, Europe, and beyond.

Infections in AML patients

We’re working with the SWG on Infections in Hematology together to gather data on infections in AML patients undergoing induction, consolidation, and salvage chemotherapy across EHA institutions. This project will involve centers from Italy, Europe, and beyond.

Grants received by SWG-related networks or principal investigators

The research project ‘Epidemiology of infection in AML: A European Hematology Association survey (EPIAMLINF)‘ received a 2025 SWG Grant. This project was initiated by the SWG on Infections in Hematology.

Other social and public EHA-related activities

  • EHA Education team’s Learning Monday and Thinking Thursday initiatives (Konstanze Döhner and Maria Teresa Voso).
  • EHA podcasts on AML (Konstanze Döhner).
  • EHA Balkan Day, April 2024. Opening and overview on EHA activities, including SWGs (Konstanze Döhner).
  • 20th Symposium of the European LeukemiaNet/22nd Symposium of the Kompetenznetz Leukämien, Mannheim, Germany, April 2024. Harmony/Harmony Plus Session: The HARMONY Alliance Foundation – Next steps. Fostering global data sharing in hematology (Konstanze Döhner).
  • Education sessions on AML at EHA2024, Madrid, Spain, June 2024. ‘Biology of and therapeutic options in TP53-mutated AML’ and ‘Measurable residual disease (MRD) in AML: are we ready for MRD based treatment decision making?’
  • Science in Focus sessions at EHA2024, Madrid, Spain, June 2024. ‘Metabolic abnormalities/adaptation and potential therapeutic vulnerabilities in AML’ and ‘Clonal hematopoiesis and myeloid malignancies.’
  • Lighting the Flame program, Tallin, July 2024 (Konstanze Döhner, Simona Valetta).
  • DGHO Congress Basel, October 2024. Young EHA (Konstanze Döhner).
  • First International Congress of Oncologists and Hematologists, Montenegro, October 2024. Overview of EHA activities (Konstanze Döhner).
  • EHA-BMSH Balkan Hematology Tutorial, Varna, Bulgaria, November 2024. Tutorial on myeloid neoplasms (Konstanze Döhner).
  • Kenya International Cancer Conference (KESHO) Meeting, Kenya, November 2024. Overview of EHA activities (Konstanze Döhner); AML session (Christoph Röllig, Konstanze Döhner).
  • 50th Annual National Congress of Hematology, Turkish Society of Hematology, November 2024. Genetics guiding therapy in AML; Young EHA (Konstanze Döhner).
  • Société Française d’Hématologie (SFH) 44ème Congrèse, Paris, France, 2024. Presentation of joint EHA/HARMONY projects (Lars Bullinger).
  • EBMT Annual Meeting, Glasgow, UK, 2024. EHA/HARMONY/EBMT interaction (Lars Bullinger).

 

Share