LGL Leukemia at UVA: Expertise in a Specialized Diagnosis
Large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia is a rare form of blood cancer, with less than 1,000 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Because it is so rare, the disease is often misdiagnosed or overlooked. UVA Cancer Center director Thomas P. Loughran Jr., MD, discovered the disease over 30 years ago. He has since dedicated his research and clinical focus to understanding LGL leukemia.
https://uvahealth.com/services..../lgl-leukemia-progra
My name is Tom Loughran. I'm a physician-scientist, and I'm a professor of medicine here at UVA. We have a very organized team to take care of patients with a rare disease called
LGL leukemia. It stands for large granular lymphocyte leukemia.
I discovered this illness when I was a fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
LGL leukemia is rare. We estimate maybe a thousand new patients every year are getting diagnosed with this illness in the United States. Because of that, even physicians in my field of hematology/oncology are not that familiar with how to make a diagnosis.
Patients do come from all around the world to see me. And so we have really focused a lot, both in the clinic and the laboratory, on this one illness. We have, for example, established the internationally recognized criteria on how to make a diagnosis of LGL leukemia.
We've advanced the field in the laboratory, trying to figure out the biology of the illness, its pathogenesis, and the problems patients might have. This has led to the major clinical treatment recommendations that have come from our research.
It's always a great idea for a patient who thinks they may have that illness to come here and visit with our team. Basically, it's a very state-of-the-art comprehensive evaluation of their illness. It's very reassuring to the patient, and personal attention is given to the patient throughout their visit.
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