The Lymphoma program is a highly interdisciplinary group of investigators dedicated to reducing the incidence and subsequent mortality of lymphoma. The program fosters interdisciplinary research in basic science, genetics, clinical medicine, cancer prevention, and epidemiology at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, the faculty at the University of Washington, and the clinical community to improve lymphoma prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment.
Program Strengths
Forty years ago, researchers at Fred Hutch developed bone marrow transplantation, which continues to be one of the most effective options for patients with lymphoma. Dr. E. Donnall Thomas and his team proved it is possible to replace cancerous cells and stem cells with donated healthy cells that engraft within a patient’s bone marrow. The discovery has created an effective treatment option for lymphoma and other blood cancers, and earned Thomas the 1990 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.
Driving Innovation through Clinical Trials
Today, our researchers continue to perform ground breaking work that is revolutionizing the field of hematologic malignancies. Our clinicians and research teams bring the newest cutting edge therapies to our lymphoma patients through access to clinical trials. Many of the most promising drugs for lymphoma recently approved by the FDA came out of trials lead through our own program at the University of Washington. Our patients get the newest and most effective treatments first.
Immunotherapy
The foundational success of bone marrow transplant has set the stage for other methods that use a patient’s own immune system to attack cancer cells. This field, called immunotherapy, is transforming the cancer field and achieving remarkable results. For more about immunotherapy, watch the video by Fred Hutch researcher Dr. Stan Riddell.
Our researchers are innovating new methods to improve survival for lymphoma patients. For example, new studies are focusing on immunotherapy techniques such as T-cell therapy, antibody based therapies, and pre-targeted radio immunotherapy for lymphoma.
Dr. Ajay Gopal
STTR Lymphoma Deputy Director
Dr. Gopal is a medical oncologist with a primary interest in developing novel targeted therapies for lymphomas with particular emphasis on radioimmunotherapy-based transplant conditioning regimens, low toxicity Proapoptotic agents for indolent lymphomas, and safe curative regimens for older adults with lymphoma.
