February is Black History Month, and I think it is a great time to remind Black and African Americans how badly you are needed on the Be The Match bone marrow donation registry.

Black and African Americans in need of a bone marrow or stem cell transplant are more likely to find a suitable donor from within their own ethnicity. If they do not have a brother or sister that is a good match, they may need to seek an unrelated donor on the Be The Match Registry. However, the number of potential African American donors on the registry are few, and many people are not able to receive the life saving therapy that they need.

If you are a Black or African American, or you know somebody who is, check out this information and see how easy and important it is to become a marrow donor!

• African Americans need champions to join Be The Match Registry- Video by Be the Match
• How are Stem Cells Collected for a Transplant?
• What are the Risks of Donating Bone Marrow?
• What are the Risks of Donating Stem Cells for Transplant?
• Why is matching required for a bone marrow or stem cell transplant?
• Get More Information About Becoming a Donor

A new treatment regimen for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and myeloproliferative disorders has shown positive results in a recent phase 2 study.

The new protocol called "TADA" (thalidomide, arsenic trioxide, dexamethasone and ascorbic acid) was tested on a group of 28 patients with an average age of 66 years, all who had been previously treated for their bone marrow disease. At the end of almost 6 months, 6 patients (about 20%) had a clinical improvement in their disease. It was also noted in the study that the toxicities of the regimen were characterized as "mild to moderate" and that 75% of the participants were able to complete a full 12 week intensive course.

New options for the treatment of MDS are welcome news. About 89% of patients diagnosed with MDS are over the age of 60, increasing their risk of having additional medical conditions and limiting their treatment choices.

• What are MDS?
• How are MDS Treated?

Blues singer Etta James passed away on Friday from complications of chronic leukemia. She was 73 years old.

Ms. James came on the music scene in the 1950's and had a long and successful career and was very influential on more recent artists such as Beyonce and Christina Aguilera.

She had a number on ongoing medical issues, such as kidney problems, Alzhemier's, and diabetes. She was diagnosed with chronic leukemia two years ago and her disease has been considered "end- stage" since December of 2011.

Ms. James passed away peacefully at a hospital near her home with her husband and sons at her side.

As a result of cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in patients receiving the medication,  the FDA has added a new warning label to the drug brentuximab vedotin (Adectris), a monoclonal antibody used to treat lymphoma.

Adcetris made news last year when it demonstrated a 75% response rate in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma during clinical trials, and was subsequently awarded accelerated approval by the FDA.

PML is a potentially deadly brain infection that may show symptoms over the course of weeks or months. These symptoms may include:

• Memory loss
• Confusion
• Visual changes
• Mood changes
• Difficulty walking
• Weakness
• Speech changes

It is worthwhile noting that the increased risk of PML in patients with lymphoma can also be caused by immune system changes related to the disease and other therapies, but its relationship to Adcetris can't be ruled out.