The European Hematology Association (EHA)

Research

Highlights from the SWG

Most impactful activities

  1. HIV Registry (NCT05231135). This unique retrospective and prospective EHA LyG European registry opened to recruitment in August 2021 and will create the largest repository of HIV lymphoma data for collaborative research. The objective is to analyse characteristics, type and toxicity of treatment, and outcomes of patients with HIV-related lymphoma. Sixteen institutions from 6 countries are participating.
  2. Cantera lymphoma workshop. The 9th Cantera edition “WHO classification of lymphoid malignancies: what is new and impact on clinical management” was held in Lecce, Italy in June 2022 and coached by Prof. Martin Dreyling and Prof. Wolfram Klapper. Twenty-four players from 8 countries attended and 4 proposals were presented and judged: 1) BRENDA_ Brentuximab-vedotin and Bendamustine with or without ASCT in second line Hodgkin lymphoma; 2) Combination of ruxolitinib and chemotherapy in treatment-naive transplant-eligible patients with T cell lymphoma: a randomized multicentric phase 3 trial; 3) The MATURE T-Cell Project. To validate prospectively the use of geriatric assessment(GA) and to integrate it in the prognostic score for mature patients with PTCLs; 4) CAR T-cell treatment in the elderly: “To frail or not to frail”. The CARTilAGE score. The winning CARTilAGE proposal was presented at the EHA annual and EHA LyG meetings (Dr. Ilse Kuipers).

Advances in activity

  1. EHA-ESMO guideline partnership. The EHA LyG is now working in full partnership with ESMO to develop consensus-based clinical practice guidelines. Four guidelines are in advanced development for publication (diffuse large B cell lymphoma, HIV lymphoma, primary CNS lymphoma and peripheral T cell lymphomas)
  2. Appointment of early career researchers to our executive board. We appointed two enthusiastic and talented early career researchers to our executive board in 2022: Dr Sanne Tonino representing Cantera, and Dr Marek Mraz representing Young EHA.
  3. Collaboration with the European Lymphoma Institute (ELI). We hosted a successful joint EHA-ELI meeting in Amsterdam in September 2022 and are in discussions to host the next joint meeting in Dubrovnik in October 2023.

Top priorities for 2023

  1. Strengthen interactions and collaborations with ELI.
  2. Facilitate and strengthen research collaborations to successfully deliver our broad portfolio of projects.
  3. Obtain administrative and secretarial support from EHA to enable the SWG to deliver projects and develop a single EHA website for EHA League and SWGs to increase visibility and membership; we are in conversation with the newly appointed SWG contact person.
  4. Deliver another successful Cantera edition. The 10th edition “Present and future immunotherapy in lymphoma” will be held in Barcelona in April 2023, and will be coached by Professor John Gribben. Applications opened in Feb 2023.

Announcement

An obituary to our dear friend and colleague who had many roles within EHA was published in Leukaemia in 2021: Löwenberg, B., Kersten, M.J., Gale, R.P. et al. Prof. Anton Hagenbeek 1948–2021: Father of MRD and Lymphoma Expert. Leukemia 35, 2725–2726 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-021-01310-5