Monash haematologist presents latest findings at Annual Blood Cancer Conference

Associate Professor Stephen Opat

Monash University’s Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor Stephen Opat was an invited keynote speaker at the Leukaemia Foundation’s Annual Blood Cancer Conference last month, presenting latest research on blood cancers.                                                                                                                                                      

Associate Professor Opat spoke to more than 600 delegates about clinical and research developments at the Monash Health Translation Precinct (MHTP), including the Clinical Trials Centre, understanding Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) and cancer immunotherapy.

“While outcomes of patients with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia have improved, approximately 20 per cent are still destined to die from their disease within five years of diagnosis,” said Associate Professor Opat, who is Head of Clinical Haematology at Monash Health.  

“Intense immunochemotherapy has particularly benefitted younger patients, however older patients often do not derive benefit as they tolerate aggressive chemotherapy poorly, and those with relapsed disease are often resistant to chemotherapy.”

Over the past decade there has been an explosion in more targeted therapies, although many cause unacceptable side effects including rashes, bleeding, infections, nausea and fatigue.

Associate Professor Opat said there is a pressing need for effective treatments in older CLL patients and those with adverse biological features. 

“Monash Health were major participants in the recent CLL 11 study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showing the superiority of a novel type of monoclonal antibody (Obinutizumab) over Rituximab, another monoclonal antibody.

The Monash Haematology Clinical Research unit has been actively involved in the development of numerous therapies for patients with blood cancer as well as the non-malignant blood diseases.

“We currently have 21 studies open for patient recruitment,” said Associate Professor Opat.

Highlights of research studies at Monash include the phase I study of BGB3111 in patients with various indolent B cell malignancies.

“This is a well-tolerated oral therapy that appears to be highly efficacious in patients with indolent B cell neoplasms.”

Associate Professor Opat said the results of the study in CLL and Waldenstroms Macroglobulinemia have just be awarded oral presentations at the American Society of Hematology Annual meeting in December.

“Together with the Monash University Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, we have established an Australasian lymphoma and related disease registry which will enable us to recognise variations in patterns of care and outcome, benchmark outcomes with standards, and identify factors that influence adverse outcomes.”

Associate Professor Opat has also just returned from Manila where he was an invited speaker for the 4th ASEAN Federation of Hematology Congress, and delivering lectures on chronic lymphocytic lymphoma, diffuse large B cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma.