Report from the European Hematology Meeting

Greetings from Barcelona. I'm here attending and reporting from the European Hematology Association meeting as part of a previously planned trip to Spain.land on assignment for PDSA.

Yestrday, both Amgen and GSK sponsored corporate meetings that were very well attended. As in the American Society of Hematology meetings, many hematologists take this opportunity to learn what is happening in the world of ITP. The focus of those meetings was an update on the latest treatment news including the new consensus document, and the clinical trials of the TPO agents. This was followed by an education session on thrombocytopenia that covered rituximab, thrombosis in ITP, plus more on TPO.

The trend is for more exploration of the long term effects of splenectomy to help determine where the new TPO agents fit in from a cost/benefit perspective and to get a better understanding of the prevalence and reasons for the blood clots in people with so few platelets.

Today I will be exploring the posters, exhibits, and more education sessions including one on measuring microparticles, a new topic.

I'll be posting more here as well as writing articles for the PDSA newsletter.

Joan

Wish I was with you. Two subjects are of particular interest to me. First the TPO as I am now on the Promacta regimen. And 2nd, Blood clots. I've had a superficial forearm clot and about 3 months later DVT in my right leg. Your report will certainly be of interest.

Joan:

I'm very glad to see that clotting is a focal subject. I have never felt that it got enough respect or attention.