Karl Kaufmann

Originally written June 7, 2007:

Dear Teammates:

My name is Karl Kaufmann and in January 2005 I was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma. Follicular lymphoma is a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and there is no recognized cure for the disease.

Although I was diagnosed in January 2005, I did not need to begin treatment until November 2005. I am fortunate enough to participate in a clinical trial which is testing the use of two antibodies to treat the lymphoma. One of the antibodies, Rituxan, has been commercially available for about ten years. The other is Galiximab and is still in the investigational stages. Basically, evidence has shown Rituxan to be an effective treatment for follicular lymphoma, but about half of the patients treated only with Rituxan will relapse within about 3 years, and virtually all will relapse at some point. Most who receive Rituxan for treatment will also receive some form of chemotherapy, which increases the likelihood of remission and the duration of remission. Doctors want to see if the use of two antibodies (without chemotherapy) will be more successful than existing treatments. I quickly achieved a complete remission as part of the treatment, and here’s to hoping it lasts for many years. A benefit to antibody treatment, as opposed to chemotherapy, is the lack of noticeable side effects. To put it in perspective, I was running 16 and 18 miles during my November treatments and completed a marathon in January 2006 (withTeam In Training, of course!).

I became connected with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through use of their website after my diagnosis and also through Team In Training. I have trained for six events with Team InTraining over the past two years, and am currently part of the Team for theMarine Corps Marathon in October2007. The reasons for my initial interest in the Society are obvious. But theTeam In Training program is so amazing that I cannot imagine not participating in it. Hopefully you will feel the same and come back again and again.

Thank you for participating in Team In Training and raising money to help cure blood cancers. As I mentioned above, there is no recognized cure for follicular lymphoma. It is treatable for a time, but ultimately the effectiveness of repeated treatments tends to decline. But with the help of people like you, breakthroughs are around the corner. Please know that each of you has my heartfelt appreciation. Good luck with your training—and I hope to see you out on the trails!!

Sincerely,

Karl Kaufmann

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