Free Hematology CME

Includes eleven online, self-learning activities:

• The state of prostate cancer treatment: advances in approach for advanced disease –  (1 hr CE) ACCME ACPE MOC
• Ongoing challenges and optimal approaches in the management of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) – (1 hr CE) ACCME ACPE MOC
• Advanced systemic mastocytosis: from recognition to treatment (Tsewang Tashi MD) – (1 hr CE) ACCME ACPE MOC
• Pancreatic Cancer: Updates from the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting – (0.75 hr CE) ACCME ACPE MOC
• Metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC): Updates from the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting (Waddah Arafat MD) – (0.75 hr CE) ACCME ACPE MOC
• Taking the next step in the management of relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (Eric Tam MD) – (1 hr CE) ACCME ACPE MOC
• Initial- and later-line treatment considerations in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) – (1 hr CE) ACCME ACPE MOC
• Treatment considerations in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (R/R CLL): evolving approaches to an evolving disease landscape – (1 hr CE) ACCME ACPE MOC
• Contemporary treatment approaches in the management of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) – (1 hr CE) ACCME ACPE MOC
• Hitting management strategies of metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma on the nose – (1 hr CE) ACCME ACPE MOC
• Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) including updates from the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2023 – (0.75 hr CE) ACCME ACPE MOC

Target Audience: HCPs including: medical oncologists, oncology surgeons, and pathologists; physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists specializing in oncology, hematology, gastroenterology, urology, with some overlap in otolaryngology, transplant medicine, allergy/immunology, nephrology, and hepatology

Patient advocate and HealthTree Foundation CEO Jenny Ahlstrom shares fresh survey insights into the physical, emotional, and social quality-of-life experiences of patients treated with bispecific antibodies, while spotlighting key educational, financial, and community resources designed to support them.

This series was developed by Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine in collaboration with the American Academy of Physician Associates, the Association of PAs in Oncology, HealthTree Foundation, and Med-IQ.

In this online, self-learning activity:

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a disease in which leukemic cells accumulate in the peripheral blood, bone marrow, and lymphatic tissue. Elderly patients comprise the vast majority of those diagnosed with CLL with a mean patient age of 72 years. There are over 23,000 cases in the U.S. per year, with an annual mortality rate in excess of 4,400. CLL may have an indolent disease course and go undetected for some time. Patients may present clinically with a range of constitutional symptoms usually range from lymphadenopathy (the most common), night sweats, weight loss, weakness, and fever. Staging systems take into account a variety of factors, including lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, and the presence and severity of cytopenias, while a patient’s prognosis is impacted by cytogenetic abnormalities and earlier progression of disease. Both the presentation and progression of CLL vary between patients, although patients with very-high-risk disease have a median survival of 19 months and a five-year overall survival of less than 24%.

Discover how communities of practice are expanding access to bispecific antibodies, as faculty share practical guidance on starting these therapies in community settings and smoothly transitioning patients from academic centers to local care.

This series was developed by Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine in collaboration with the American Academy of Physician Associates, the Association of PAs in Oncology, HealthTree Foundation, and Med-IQ.

In this online, self-learning activity:

Hemophilia is a genetic disease caused by mutation of one of the genes for coagulation proteins leading to dangerous, uncontrolled bleeding. In hemophilia B, a mutation in the gene for factor IX (FIX) leads to an endogenous deficiency in the clotting factor. The incidence of hemophilia B is the same across race and ethnic groups, affecting approximately 1 out of every 30,000 male births.

Faculty discusses the prevention and management of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), and infections in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma treated with BCMA-directed bispecific antibodies.

This series was developed by Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine in collaboration with the American Academy of Physician Associates, the Association of PAs in Oncology, HealthTree Foundation, and Med-IQ.

In this online, self-learning activity:

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common monogenic blood disorder, affecting millions of people worldwide and approximately 100,000 Americans. Although it may be found in various areas of the world, SCD predominantly affects individuals of African or Hispanic heritage. It is caused by the inheritance of b-globin alleles that code for hemoglobin S, resulting in an amino acid substitution in hemoglobin’s b chain and clinical disease. Patients with SCD have impaired circulation, and lysis of the erythrocytes contributes to a chronic inflammatory response, causing severe pain and less efficient oxygen delivery. The hallmark clinical features of SCD are hemolytic anemia and painful vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs), which may lead to emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalization, and potentially fatal complications. In one US study, 45% of deaths among people with SCD were related to cardiopulmonary causes, and VOCs alone have been shown to increase the risk of death by 50%. SCD also imposes other significant health burdens on patients: it is associated with a significant reduction in quality of life, malnutrition, the development of mental health disorders like depression and anxiety, loss of work or school days, frequent antibiotic use leading to higher rates of antimicrobial resistance, acute chest syndrome, and stroke.

Expert faculty dive into the rapidly evolving world of BCMA-directed bispecific antibodies for multiple myeloma, exploring practical strategies to bring these cutting-edge therapies into everyday clinical care.

This series was developed by Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine in collaboration with the American Academy of Physician Associates, the Association of PAs in Oncology, HealthTree Foundation, and Med-IQ.

In this online, self-learning activity:

Polycythemia vera (PV) is an uncommon hematologic malignancy belonging to BCR-ABL1-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), characterized by activating mutations in JAK2 that cause the proliferation of malignant hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. PV is characterized by erythrocytosis, thrombocytosis, leukocytosis, and splenomegaly, with approximately 50% of patients presenting symptoms such as fatigue, headache, visual disturbances, and pruritus at diagnosis. Others may be asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally through blood tests, and as the disease progresses, individuals often experience worsening symptoms along with new ones, including early satiety and inactivity. Approximately 148,000 individuals in the United States have PV; the annual incidence of PV ranges from 0.01 to 2.61 per 100,000 individuals, while its prevalence varies from 45 to 57 per 100,000. Primarily affecting older individuals, PV has an overall median age of 61 years, with less than 10% of cases occurring in those under 40 years old.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Hemophilia is a genetic disease caused by mutation of one of the genes for coagulation proteins leading to dangerous, uncontrolled bleeding. In hemophilia B, a mutation in the gene for factor IX (FIX) leads to an endogenous deficiency in the clotting factor. The incidence of hemophilia B is the same across race and ethnic groups, affecting approximately 1 out of every 30,000 male births.

Target Audience:

HCPs including but not limited to: hematologists, internists, and pediatricians; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who practice in hematology, and other HCPs who practice in hemophilia treatment center; and any other clinicians with an interest in or who clinically encounter patients with hemophilia B.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:
In this online, self-learning activity:

Acute hepatic porphyria (AHP) is an umbrella term for four types of acute porphyria, the most severe of which is acute intermittent porphyria (AIP). An estimated 80% of AHP cases are AIP, which is an inherited autosomal dominant condition that results from mutations of the third enzyme of heme synthesis, porphobilinogen deaminase. In the Western countries, it is estimated that approximately 1 in 2000 individuals are carriers of the relevant mutated genotype, although the majority have latent AIP and are clinically asymptomatic. Acute attacks occur in less than 10% of the at-risk population, reflecting the role of environmental factors, such as alcohol use, infections, and hormonal changes, among others. AHP symptoms are believed to be caused by ALAS1-mediated accumulation of ALA and PBG in the liver and bloodstream, leading to neurotoxicity.

Target Audience:
The following HCPs: hematologists and gastroenterologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who practice in any of the aforementioned areas of specialties; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or who clinically encounter patients with AHP.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common monogenic blood disorder, affecting millions of people worldwide and approximately 100,000 Americans. Although it may be found in various areas of the world, SCD predominantly affects individuals of African or Hispanic heritage. It is caused by the inheritance of b-globin alleles that code for hemoglobin S, resulting in an amino acid substitution in hemoglobin’s b chain and clinical disease. Patients with SCD have impaired circulation, and lysis of the erythrocytes contributes to a chronic inflammatory response, causing severe pain and less efficient oxygen delivery. The hallmark clinical features of SCD are hemolytic anemia and painful vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs), which may lead to emergency department visits, hospitalization, and potentially fatal complications such as acute chest syndrome, stroke, or pneumonia. In one US study, 45% of deaths among people with SCD were related to cardiopulmonary causes, and VOCs alone have been shown to increase the risk of death by 50%. SCD may disrupt employment or school and is associated with a significant reduction in quality of life. This learning activity has been designed to bring HCPs’ knowledge of rationale behind treatment of SCD up to date and to enhance their competence and performance in the condition’s management.

Activity Description:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Pyruvate kinase (PK) is an enzyme that plays a major role in a metabolic pathway integral to the production of ATP, and a deficiency in the enzyme (PKD) is one of the most common enzyme-related glycolytic defects in a pathway integral to the production of ATP. It is transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait and is caused by mutations in the PKLR gene on chromosome 1, and over one hundred eighty of these mutations have been associated with PKD. While PKD affects approximately five people of European descent per 100,000 (data in other patient populations are lacking), it is one of the more frequent causes of chronic hemolysis. Anemia arising from the condition may range from mild and fully compensated to life-threatening in severity.

Target Audience:

HCPs including: hematology; nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacists who specialize in hematology; and those with an interest in or may clinically encounter patients with PKD.

In this online, self-learning activity:

Thalassemias belong to a group of recessively inherited blood disorders characterized by little or no hemoglobin production and chronic anemia of varying severity. Alpha thalassemia (AT) is most commonly found in people of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Asian, and North African descent. Worldwide, 5% of people are AT carriers, with a much higher prevalence in certain regions (e.g., up to 23% in Southeast Asia). AT is typically caused by deletions of one or more α-globin genes, leading to reduced or abolished α-globin production; non-deletional forms of AT can also occur and are generally more severe. The loss of functional α-globin disrupts the globin chain equilibrium, leading to excess γ- and β-globin chain formation and causing ineffective erythropoiesis. Patients with both deletional and non-deletional types of AT can develop various clinical complications, such as iron overload, gallstones, impaired liver function, osteoporosis, and elevated uric acid levels. Cardiopulmonary and skeletal deformities are common in patients from countries in the Western hemisphere who have elevated ferritin, while infections are the leading complication and cause of death in patients who live in countries in the Eastern hemisphere and have transfusion-dependent thalassemia.

This one-hour ECHO® session equips community oncology teams to apply BCMA‑directed bispecific antibodies in real-world multiple myeloma care, manage treatment-related adverse events, and strengthen coordinated multidisciplinary practice through Communities of Practice. This session specifically focuses on appropriately incorporating BCMA-directed BsAbs into clinical practice.