Sponsored by NCI's Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, it is the goal of the Leukemia Steering Committee to foster interaction between the Cooperative Groups and promote new, exciting trials.

April 6, 2010

Dear AML Mavens,

As you may or may not know, the Leukemia Steering Committee has been established to foster interaction between the Cooperative Groups and promote new, exciting trials. We especially want to integrate as much translational biology as possible into these new trials. We have been given the green light to organize and develop agendas for a series of small, disease-specific working groups. You have been peer-selected as a potential contributor for developing new AML protocols. If you are interested, please go to the web site as directed in the email. The site will have a running document (“AML protocols”) for all to share their thoughts and ideas. The page has instructions that are quite easy (I dare say, easy enough for a caveman, or at least a transplanter).

Here is the suggested order of events:

1. Using the AML protocols document, describe any ideas you have in regards to any/all trials concerning de novo AML, relapsed/refractory AML, and/or elderly AML.
2. For those more lab oriented, describe what you would like to measure as science necessary for the protocol (e.g., FLT3 mutation status; flow cytometry), and secondary studies (e.g., methylation arrays).
3. Go to the Doodle calendar and put down your availability for a teleconference, to be conducted (hopefully) by the end of this month..
4. In the teleconference we will focus on one/two disease states, and pound out an agenda that can advance to gain funding for a face-to-face to meeting. Prior to meeting, I will hand out homework assignments. At this meeting we will create and flesh out the ideas into a protocol document.

I expect that the face-to-face meeting will have fewer participants compared to the teleconference-we want a “coalition of the willing,” and as previously noted, young blood would be especially useful in advancing the effort.

I thank everyone in advance, and please pardon future intrusions into your time as we try to push this effort forward. As Jack London said,  “You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”

Jerry Radich & Wendy Stock

http://restructuringtrials.cancer.gov/files/BIQSFP_Announcement_12_12_08.pdf   This is the link to the special funding program for biomarkers, imaging, and and quality of life.