2026 Patient Seminar

The 2026 patient seminar was held on October 24th.

Seminar materials: Recordings and transcripts of the seminar sessions are being formatted and will be published on our website as soon as they are ready.

Resource Packet: We developed a packet to accompany the 2026 seminar. It includes the agenda, bios of the speakers, links to important resources on our website, a QR code to give to the HCLF, and an important glossary of terms in HCL. Click here to access the packet. >>

SEMINAR AGENDA

9:00 to 10:00 AM — ** Coffee, Registration & Community Networking **

Doors open at 9:00 am. Join us for coffee/tea, light pastries, and networking with other people with HCL and their families.

10:00 to 10:45 AM — Opening Remarks from HCLF Leadership & Overview of the HCL Patient Data Registry

10:45 to 11:30 AM — HCL 101: Understanding Hairy Cell Leukemia

Speaker: Dr. Kerry Rogers, The Ohio State University

This session will focus on the following topics:

●      Understanding common HCL terms:

●      Understanding how HCL is diagnosed

●      Understanding when to treat HCL

11:30 AM to 12:15 PM — Preparing for Treatment and Recovery: What Every HCL Patient Should Know Before, During, and After Therapy 

 Speaker: Versha Banerji, CancerCare Manitoba

This session will focus on the following topics:

●      Preparing for Treatment

●      During Treatment: What Patients Should Expect

●      Recovery and Life After Treatment

12:15 to 1:00 PM — ** Lunch and Community Networking **

1:00 to 2:15 PM — Treatment Today: Making Sense of Your Options

Panelists: Seema Bhat, The Ohio State University; Michael Grever, The Ohio State University; Robert Kreitman, National Cancer Institute; Jae Park, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

This session will focus on the following topics:

●      How Treatment Decisions are made (review)

●      Cladribine and Pentostatin

●      Rituximab and Obinutuzumab

●      BRAF-Targeted Therapies

●      New Non-Chemotherapy Approaches

Flyer about clinical trials in HCL/HCLv at the NCI >>

2:15 to 2:30 PM — ** Coffee Break **

2:30 to 3:15 PM — Nutrition and Wellness

Ernestine Trujillo, MS, RD, LD

This session will focus on the following topics:

●      Nutrition during Treatment

●      Nutrition during Remission

●      Nutrition Tips for Managing Fatigue

3:15 to 3:30 PM — Closing Remarks

3:30 to 4:00 PM — Networking and Departure