ASCO 2010: Lymphoma Maintenance Therapy, An Advocate Perspective

Brian Tomlinson, from the Lymphoma Research Foundation, discusses lymphoma maintenance therapy.

Selma R. Schimmel, Founder & CEO, Vital Options International: Brian Tomlinson, you are the Director of Program Services at the Lymphoma Research Foundation.

Brian Tomlinson, Dir. Of Programs & Services, Lymphoma Research Foundation: Yes, I am. Thank you, it’s very nice to be here. Thank you for inviting me.

Selma R. Schimmel: I’m pleased to speak with you, one, because I have a lot of regard for the organization and we’re watching a lot of progress happening on the lymphoma front and the blood cancer front in general. So I’ll be curious, now that you’ve been at ASCO for a couple of days, what do you think are the highlights of when you go back what you’ll be able to share with patients on positive notes?

Brian Tomlinson: One of the key things coming out of ASCO is, obviously, the issue of maintenance therapy and when patients complete an initial treatment, it’s exciting for them to understand that following that they can go into something called maintenance therapy that will help keep their lymphoma in remission. It’s exciting anytime for patients where an existing therapy or a new therapy is approved or received an initial indication because it provides a lot of hope for patients and survivors across all lymphomas, not any particular type because the disease is, obviously, very different.

Selma R. Schimmel: It’s also exciting when there’s been a drug that’s had a track record and then they find a new indication and a new way to use the drug, so that’s encouraging.

Brian Tomlinson: Yes, that’s been the trend over a number of years with all therapies, in particular in lymphoma where they’re combining things and trying different combinations together. And it’s exciting when existing therapies, obviously, receive additional indications because it expands their use.

Selma R. Schimmel: They’re revitalized.

Brian Tomlinson: Yes, that is correct.

Selma R. Schimmel: And the other interesting area, because it’s unique to lymphoma, there’s that period of watchful waiting. And we all know I’m a survivor, not of lymphoma, but a cancer survivor, and we all know when you finish treatment you may feel like the therapist has, at our program has once said, it’s like you’re a sitting duck. And in some way, you do feel that way because when you’re on treatment, you somewhat feel a sense of security, and then you go off of treatment and you feel much more vulnerable. So the idea of maintenance therapy is also on a psychosocial level very helpful because you feel like you’re doing something.

Brian Tomlinson: Yes, I agree. It’s challenging for lymphoma patients. And I work with patients and survivors all across the country and you mentioned watchful waiting, and it’s difficult to hear that because when you hear you have a diagnosis of cancer, your initial thought would be, “I should be receiving some sort of therapy, some sort of treatment as opposed to watching and waiting to see what happens.” So it’s… or as you said, when you end therapy you’re kind of maybe waiting for it to come back.

Selma R. Schimmel: You’re in that grey zone.

Brian Tomlinson: And every year you go back and you have your scans and you’re wondering if it’s going to be the year. So it’s of course, exciting for patients to know that there are additional options beyond you know, the current therapy they’re on once they complete it.

Selma R. Schimmel: So Brian, thank you for sharing with me what you’re all doing at the Lymphoma Research Foundation. I wish you great success.

Brian Tomlinson: It’s certainly an exciting time in lymphoma research. It has been for a number of years. And if the next ten years are anything like the last, I think people should take a lot of hope in what is coming down the pipe.

[End of video]