Cedars-Sinai Expert Joins Team Researching Rare Blood Cancer Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 12 October 2018 06:00 AM America/Los_Angeles Cedars-Sinai Expert Joins Team Researching Rare Blood Cancer A computer illustration of red blood cells. Illustration by Getty. Red blood cells, computer illustration. Ronald Paquette, MD, Clinical Director of the Cedars-Sinai Blood & Marrow Transplant Program, and the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute recently was accepted as members of the Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Research Consortium. The group, a multi-institutional nonprofit consortium of laboratory and clinical scientists from 11 institutions, is funded by the National Cancer Institute. It coordinates and performs research into the genetic and cellular mechanisms of the Philadelphia Chromosome (Ph)-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). MPNs are rare, chronic blood cancers in which the bone marrow-where most blood cell production occurs-does not function properly. The cancers, which affect at least 300,000 people in the United States, worsen over time and are more common in older adults. Mutations, or changes in certain genes, are believed to cause the disorders. Myelofibrosis, one the most aggressive types of myeloproliferative disorder, can be cured only by performing a bone marrow transplant, a treatment provided by the Blood & Marrow Transplant Program at Cedars-Sinai. "I'm pleased to join the world-recognized experts who are treating myeloproliferative disorders, and to have the opportunity to address the needs of this patient population," Paquette said. "As the only member institution in Southern California, Cedars-Sinai hopes to attract patients who want to receive cutting-edge care for their myeloproliferative disorder and contribute to advancing the field." The investigators are working to develop new treatment strategies that will improve the survival of MPN patients. In addition to performing fundamental research on the blood cancers, the consortium has built a unique clinical group that tests a wide and growing range of potential MPN treatments. Cedars-Sinai is now a designated site for MPN clinical trials. "Cedars-Sinai's membership in the MPN-RC furthers our mission to provide the best care to patients, while promoting the highest levels of discovery," said Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, director of the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories Cancer Patient Sails Again September 19, 2022 06:00 AM America/Los_Angeles Jeannea Jordan, who turns 80 in October, is a local sailing pioneer who began racing and cruising her 30-foot sailboat 25 years ago when few women were part of the sport. When a tumor on her spine ran her aground last year and her oncologist at … Read more Study Active Surveillance an Effective Option for Thyroid Cancer September 15, 2022 08:01 AM America/Los_Angeles A novel clinical trial from Cedars-Sinai Cancer shows that active surveillance is an effective treatment for many low-risk thyroid cancer patients. The study, published in JAMA Oncology, also showed for the first time that patients who opted for … Read more Study Patients Prefer Stool Test to Colonoscopy September 12, 2022 10:00 AM America/Los_Angeles Three-quarters of people prefer to do a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) rather than a colonoscopy for their regular colorectal cancer screening, according to a new Cedars-Sinai study.Unlike colonoscopies, FIT doesn’t require lengthy preparation, … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release Cedars-Sinai Expert Joins Team Researching Rare Blood Cancer Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay: Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW: Want New Omicron Booster? Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home