Amar Kelkar

Dr. Amar Kelkar, an instructor at Harvard Medical School and specialist at Dana-Farber, joins for an enlightening dive into allogeneic transplants for AML. He unpacks key eligibility criteria for patients, stressing the importance of minimal residual disease status. The conversation also illuminates the critical role of HLA matching and donor selection factors. Additionally, Dr. Kelkar compares various stem cell sources, revealing unique insights about outcomes in haploidentical and cord blood transplants. His expert perspective makes this complex topic accessible.

Dr. Amar Kelkar, Dana-Farber transplant physician focused on allogeneic transplant and ethics, and Dr. Shonali Midha, Dana-Farber myeloma specialist and autologous transplant expert, discuss transplant candidacy and pre-transplant testing. They walk through stem cell collection and mobilization, melphalan dosing, MRD-adapted strategies, second transplants, allogeneic roles, and financial/cost-effectiveness considerations.

Dr. Amar Kelkar, a hematology and oncology expert from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, delves into allogeneic transplant options for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). He discusses the various conditioning regimens and how to choose the best one for patients. The conversation also highlights the critical role of measurable residual disease testing and maintenance therapies. Kelkar sheds light on graft-versus-host disease and recent advancements in haploidentical transplants, addressing racial disparities in transplant outcomes for better equity.