Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center

The Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center advances patient-centered science and speeds discoveries to people who need cures now. It brings together renowned researchers, state-of-the-art facilities, novel studies and clinical trials under a central organization that facilitates scientific discovery. These lifesaving advances result in more powerful therapies and cures for people battling all forms of lymphoma. Each year, more than 250 patients with lymphoma are enrolled in clinical trials at City of Hope.

Highlights

• Working to develop immune-based, nontransplant therapies, many of which have already shown promise in City of Hope laboratories
• Has long specialized in lymphoma, including some of the most common (Hodgkin, diffuse large B cell, follicular and small lymphocytic lymphomas) and the rarest (T cell non-Hodgkin, marginal and mantle cell lymphoma, Burkitt, and hairy cell lymphomas) of hematological malignancies
• Recognized with Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) and Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) awards
• City of Hope holds one of only four lymphoma-focused SPOREs and one of only two mantle cell lymphoma SCORs.

Driving the Field Forward

Some of the ways City of Hope researchers and clinicians are driving the lymphoma field forward include:

• Developing promising new therapies, including gene, vaccine, antibody-based and CAR T cell therapy — and combining immunotherapy with radiation therapy — to bolster the immune system response to cancer
• Unique “bench to bedside” treatment: quickly and safely taking new drugs from our research labs to on-campus manufacturing facilities to patients
• Leading research resulting in Food and Drug Administration approval of  brentuximab vedotin, a treatment that is extending the lives of patients who failed previous therapies
• Pioneering groundbreaking therapies for cutaneous lymphoma, including skin-directed and light therapies
• Genetic testing and customized drug therapy tailored to the molecular profile of specific lymphoma types
• Leading research that is changing the standard of care for HIV and AIDS-related lymphomas
• A pioneering blood and bone marrow program that performs hundreds of transplants yearly, and whose innovative approaches include combining transplantation with new therapies
• Expertise with rare lymphoma subtypes, including cutaneous T cell lymphoma, double-hit B cell lymphomas and AIDS-related lymphomas