Dr. Goodman on the Need for Molecular Subtyping in T-Cell Lymphomas

Aaron Goodman, MD, hematologist/oncologist and assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, discusses the need for molecular subtyping in T-cell lymphomas.

Investigators should keep T-cell lymphomas separate from other lymphomas in clinical trials, says Goodman. Ideally, there would be separate trials for patients with specific subtypes of T-cell lymphomas as well, adds Goodman.

As more information regarding the genetic makeup of T-cell lymphoma emerges, focused research efforts on more specific patient populations may inform which therapies are best suited for each patient, says Goodman.

For example, patients with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma appear to have better responses to hypomethylating agents and histone deacetylase inhibitors compared with other types of T-cell lymphoma, says Goodman.

The identification of molecular subtypes in acute myeloid leukemia led to the development of targeted therapies. Similarly, molecular subtyping in T-cell lymphoma may be important in moving the needle forward, concludes Goodman.