| Release date: April 2008 Expiration date: April 30, 2009 Estimated time to complete activity: 3.0 hours |
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This activity is supported by an educational donation provided by
Activity Overview
Patients with thrombocytopenia present some of the greatest challenges faced by the practicing hematologist-oncologist, a fact reflected in the number and nature of questions most often posed to clinical experts during consultations. With the approval of new thrombopoietin agonists still pending, the question of how to best manage patients with thrombocytopenia remains crucial for hematology-oncology physicians. In this program, challenging cases submitted by clinicians from their practices serve as the basis for an expert panel discussion of issues relating to the underlying mechanisms, differential diagnosis, and optimal management of disease-related, treatment-related, idiopathic, and inherited thrombocytopenia.
Target Audience
This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of hematologist-oncologists and other health care professionals involved in the care of patients with inherited, idiopathic, disease-related, or treatment-related thrombocytopenia.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:
- Describe the tests used to diagnose the various causes of thrombocytopenia
- Define the primary goal of therapy for patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), and other causes of thrombocytopenia
- Formulate treatment strategies for ITP patients who are refractory to splenectomy and other first-line therapies
- Describe current or investigational uses of novel drugs, including but not limited to immunomodulatory agents or platelet growth factors
James N. George, MD—Co-Chair View biography
George Lynn Cross Research Professor
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
David J. Kuter, MD, DPhil—Co-Chair View biography
Chief of Hematology
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts
Victor S. Blanchette, MD, FRCP View biography
Chief, Division of Haematology/Oncology
The Hospital for Sick Children
Professor of Paediatrics
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Eva Hellström-Lindberg, MD, PhD View biography
Associate Professor of Hematology
Karolinska Institutet
Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge
Stockholm, Sweden
Disclosure
In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education’s (ACCME) Standards for Commercial Support, all CME providers are required to disclose to the activity audience the relevant financial relationships of everyone in a position to control content of an educational activity. A relevant financial relationship is a relationship in any amount occurring in the last 12 months with a commercial interest whose products or services are discussed in the CME activity content over which the individual has control. Relationship information appears below:
LaJaun Chambers, MD has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Victor S. Blanchette, MD, FRCP has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
| Consultant: | Amgen, Bayer, Baxter BioScience |
James N. George, MD has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
| Consultant/Research Support: | Amgen |
Dr. George discusses the unlabeled or investigational use of a commercial product.
Eva Hellström-Lindberg, MD, PhD has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
| Advisor: | Amgen |
| Speaker: | Celgene, Pharmion |
| Research Support: | Pharmion |
Nina Karlin, MD has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Christopher Keuker, MD has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Eric Kraut, MD has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
| Consultant/Speaker: | Baxter BioScience, Novartis |
David J. Kuter, MD, DPhil has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
| Research Support: | Amgen |
Dr. Kuter discusses the unlabeled or investigational use of a commercial product.
Juan Sghirla, MD has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Curatio CME Institute Staff
Thomas Finnegan, PhD, Medical Writer, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Barbara Landers, Vice President, Medical Education Programs, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Denise C. LaTemple, PhD, Vice President, Scientific Services, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Brett Mutschler, CME Director, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Kristen Petro, Senior Program Manager, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Jonathan S. Simmons, ELS, Managing Editor, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Accreditation Statement
Curatio CME Institute is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Credit Designation
Curatio CME Institute designates this educational activity for a maximum of 3.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Physicians should not claim credit for this activity if credit was previously claimed for the symposium on which this Web activity is based.
Method of Participation
There are no fees for participating in this CME activity. To receive credit during the period April 2008 to April 30, 2009, participants must (1) read the learning objectives and disclosure statements, (2) study the educational activity, (3) complete the posttest, and (4) complete the activity evaluation form, including the certificate information section.
The posttest can be accessed at the end of the activity. Please e-mail any questions to cmeinfo@curatiocme.com.
Medium
The Internet was selected as the instructional format to accommodate the learning preferences of a significant portion of the target audience.
Disclaimer
The information presented in this activity is for continuing medical education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical judgment of a physician regarding diagnosis and treatment of a specific patient’s medical condition.
Unapproved Product Use
This educational activity contains discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Curatio CME Institute and Amgen do not recommend the use of any agent outside the labeled indications.
The opinions expressed in this educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of Curatio CME Institute or Amgen. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.
Generic Name |
Trade Name |
Approved Use (if any) |
Unapproved/ |
AMG 531 |
N/A |
N/A |
Patients with chronic ITP; thrombocytopenia in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) |
Bortezomib |
Velcade® |
Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who have received at least 1 prior therapy |
In combination with dexamethasone for patients with recurrent MM |
Dalteparin |
Fragmin® |
Prophylaxis of ischemic complications in unstable angina and non–Q-wave myocardial infarction, when concurrently administered with aspirin therapy Prophylaxis of deep vein thromobosis (DVT), which may lead to pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients undergoing hip replacement surgery In patients undergoing abdominal surgery who are at risk for thromboembolic In patients who are at risk for thromboembolic complications due to severely restricted mobility during acute illness |
Prophylactic anticoagulant for patients with thrombocytopenia |
Eltrombopag |
N/A |
N/A |
Patients with chronic ITP |
Fondaparinux |
Arixtra® |
Prophylaxis of DVT, which may lead to PE in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery, including extended prophylaxis In patients undergoing:
Treatment of acute DVT when administered in conjunction with warfarin sodium, and the treatment of acute PE when administered in conjunction with warfarin sodium when initial therapy is administered in the hospital |
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia |
Interleukin-11 |
Neumega® |
Prevention of severe thrombocytopenia and the reduction of the need for platelet transfusions following myelosuppressive chemotherapy in adult patients with nonmyeloid malignancies who are at high risk of severe thrombocytopenia |
Thrombocytopenia in patients with MDS |
Rituximab |
Rituxan® |
Treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory, low-grade or follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) First-line treatment of follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell NHL in combination with cyclophosphamide, prednisone, Treatment of low-grade, CD20-positive, B-cell NHL in patients with stable disease or who achieve a partial or complete response following first-line treatment with CVP chemotherapy First-line treatment of diffuse large B-cell, CD20-positive, NHL in combination with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, prednisone, vincristine (CHOP) or other anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens In combination with methotrexate to reduce signs and symptoms in adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response to one or more tumor necrosis factor antagonist therapies |
Patients with chronic ITP |
Warfarin |
Coumadin® |
Prophylaxis or treatment of venous thrombosis and its extension, and PE Prophylaxis or treatment of the thromboembolic complications associated with atrial fibrillation and/or cardiac valve replacement To reduce the risk of death, recurrent myocardial infarction, and thromboembolic events such as stroke or systemic embolization after myocardial infarction |
Prophylactic anticoagulant for patients with thrombocytopenia |
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