Research

Although many patients are diagnosed with earlier phases (also known as "precursor conditions") of blood cancers, in most cases, there are no effective, disease-modifying therapies available. This means that most patients do not receive treatment until their cancer progresses.

Precursor conditions include early cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia called monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis (MBL); early cases of multiple myeloma or Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS); and early cases of myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferative disorders.

In order to understand why some patients with these precursor conditions go on to develop progressive disease, while others do not show progression — and to develop better targeted therapeutic agents to prevent progression, or even eliminate the disease before it leads to symptoms — the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center (DF/BWCC) Center for Prevention of Progression of Blood Cancers (CPOP) has been created.

Although the last decade has seen the development of effective target therapies for patients with blood cancers, their clinical use has been hampered by drug resistance, clonal evolution, and disease progression — all of which limit the extent and duration of patients' response.

Of note, most blood cancers — including multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and acute myeloid leukemia — are preceded by clonal disease states that then progress into disease. However, the genomic, genetic, and epigenetic factors governing the process of progression and therapeutic resistance have not been systematically characterized.

The CPOP is a research initiative focused on understanding the progression and clonal evolution of blood cancers, with an ultimate aim to develop targeted therapeutic agents that can eliminate the early clones of disease.