Charting a shared path: Patients, clinicians and industry unite for aggressive lymphoma

Kite, a Gilead company, in partnership with Lymphoma Australia, has launched the Aggressive Lymphoma Roadmap, a practical guide for people living with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas, including aggressive subtypes such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

The Roadmap was unveiled at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, attended by Lymphoma Australia CEO Sharon Winton, Consultant Haematologist A/Professor Mary Ann Anderson, AFL great and Lymphoma Australia Ambassador Anthony Rocca, and other patient advocates. It aims to give patients and their families a clear view of what may lie ahead following an aggressive lymphoma diagnosis, including key questions to ask at critical timepoints to support informed decision-making.

Sharon Winton explained that feedback from patients highlighted gaps in information, support, and treatment options. She noted, “Too often, where someone lives and how far they are from a specialist centre shapes their experiences of care, when it shouldn’t.”

Winton added that aggressive lymphomas can progress quickly, leaving patients to make big decisions in a short window of time, which can feel overwhelming. The Roadmap is designed to address these gaps, ensuring every Australian patient and family has access to the information and support needed to make informed decisions, regardless of location.

A/Professor Anderson, a member of the clinical steering committee, said the Roadmap recognises that patients’ preferences, health literacy, and stage in their treatment journey influence how they receive information and make decisions. She explained that the co-design process with clinicians and people with lived experience ensures the Roadmap reflects evidence-based care and is practical for use in clinics.

“This is particularly useful at the point of diagnosis with an aggressive lymphoma or relapse, when uncertainty about the path ahead can sometimes feel overwhelming for patients and their families,” A/Professor Anderson said.

Dr Paul Slade, Medical Director at Gilead Sciences Australia, highlighted the importance of equitable access to information and support.

“The Aggressive Lymphoma Roadmap is free and easy to access via Lymphoma Australia, ensuring that whether care begins in a tertiary centre in a major capital city or a regional clinic, patients and their families receive consistent, evidence-based information and support to have the conversations they need to have with their clinical care team about their treatment options and are prepared for the road ahead,” he said.

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