Lymphoma and Myeloma

Effie Golfis knew something was wrong when she discovered a lump in her neck. When she was diagnosed with lymphoma, she was shocked to see several tumors on a PET scan. MD Anderson’s clinical research and its passionate employees helped reinforce her decision to seek treatment there. More than two-and-a-half years after she chose to participate in a clinical trial, she is cancer-free. As an MD Anderson employee, she feels like she is an important part of the mission to end cancer. “Now that I am a survivor, I feel even more passionate about everything I do,” she says. To learn more about lymphoma: Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or online:

Diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma and coping with a recurrence one year after treatment, Tomas Sandoval IV decided to participate in a clinical trial at MD Anderson. "When I was presented the opportunity to become a CAR T cell candidate at MD Anderson, I was actually the third person with lymphoma to undergo the clinical trial there," he says. He adds, "Being part of a clinical trial is great, because not only are you helping yourself, but you're helping future cancer patients." Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or online:

Robert Orlowski, M.D., is a professor of Lymphoma-Myeloma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Learn more about Dr. Orlowski: Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or online:

Jason Westin, M.D., is an associate professor of Lymphoma-Myeloma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Learn more about Dr. Westin: Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or online:

For Emily Dumler, one call to MD Anderson Cancer Center changed everything. She participated in a groundbreaking clinical trial, which gave her renewed hope and ultimately helped her beat lymphoma. Follow us on social media: Facebook – /mdanderson Instagram – /mdandersoncancercenter Twitter – @MDAndersonNews Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or online:

Kimberly Hill was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2010 in her hometown of Knoxville, Tenn. When her symptoms continued after surgery, she sought a second opinion at MD Anderson. Here she was actually diagnosed with stage IV lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma. The disease had spread to her lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow and throughout her gastrointestinal tract. She emphasizes that getting a second opinion saved her life. Read more about Kimberly Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or online at:

Stem cells produced in the bone marrow become blood cells and also the cells that defend the body against infection and disease. But blood cancers and disorders like leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndrome, as well as their treatments, can damage these cells. Often, treatment for these cancers and disorders includes a stem cell transplant. There are two primary types of stem cell transplants. An autologous stem cell transplant uses a patient’s own stem cells to help the patient recover after intense chemotherapy is used to treat the disease. An allogeneic transplant, which uses healthy cells from a donor, is used if the cancer has affected the bone marrow. This animation explains the differences between these types of stem cell transplants and how well-suited stem cell donors are found when a patient needs an allogeneic transplant. Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or online at: Learn about stem cell transplants, including the typ

MD Anderson and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited have announced an exclusive license agreement and research agreement to develop chimeric antigen receptor-directed natural killer (CAR NK)-cell therapies, ‘armored’ with IL-15, for the treatment of B-cell malignancies and other cancers. Katy Rezvani, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at MD Anderson, discusses the importance of this collaboration to bring new therapies forward to patients in need. Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or online:

Chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy – often called CAR T cell therapy – is a type of cancer treatment used to treat children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and adults with large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. With this type of immunotherapy, T cells are extracted from the patient and modified in a laboratory to express the chimeric antigen receptor, which allows the cells to better recognize and fight cancer. The modified cells are then expanded to large numbers and returned the patient through an IV to begin attacking the cancer. Watch Dr. William Wierda discuss how CAR T cell therapy works as well as side effects caused by this cancer treatment. Learn more about CAR T cell therapy, including who’s a good candidate for this therapy and the latest clinical trials: Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or by completing our online self-referral form:

Christopher Flowers, M.D., is the division head of Cancer Medicine and the chair of Lymphoma-Myeloma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Learn more about Dr. Flowers: Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or online: