Elaine S. Jaffe, M.D.
- Center for Cancer Research
- National Cancer Institute
- Building 10, Room 3S235
- Bethesda, MD 20892-1500
- 301-480-8040 (office)
- 301-480-8461 (direct)
- 301-480-8089
- ejaffe@mail.nih.gov
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Dr. Jaffe has conducted pioneering studies related to the classification of malignant lymphomas and has led an international effort for consensus among clinicians and pathologists. Her work focuses on lymphomas as tumors of the immune system. Using a combination of immunophenotypic, genomic and genetic approaches, her group is examining the pathogenesis of lymphomas, mechanisms of transformation, and signaling pathways involved in control of cellular proliferation and differentiation. These studies delineate new disease entities and provide a basis for therapy. Her work has established a new paradigm for the classification of lymphoid neoplasms.
Areas of Expertise
Elaine S. Jaffe, M.D.
Research
Lymphoma Disease Discovery and Definition
Disease discovery and disease definition are critical first steps in elucidating pathogenetic mechanisms of cancer. Most insights into the molecular pathogenesis of lymphomas have followed on the heels of a precise elucidation of the disease entity based on clinical, pathological, or immunophenotypic grounds. Our work focuses on the definition of malignant lymphomas as tumors of the immune system, delineation of new disease entities, studies related to the pathophysiology of malignant lymphomas, and clinical correlations including prognosis and response to treatment. These studies in our laboratory and others were instrumental in the development of the WHO Classification of Tumours of the Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues was published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, published in 2001 and revised in 2008 and 2017.
Our recent work has involved studies of the biological and pathological heterogeneity of follicular lymphomas, and an investigation of apoptotic pathways in these tumors. We have explored the interrelationship between Hodgkin lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, focusing in particular on grey zone lymphomas that appear to represent the missing link between classical Hodgkin lymphoma and other B-cell malignancies. Ongoing studies are directed at trying to understand the genetic or epigenetic mechanisms that cause a B-cell to become a Hodgkin cell, and understanding the role of the microenvironment in these lymphomas. We have examined early events in lymphomagenesis, such as in situ follicular neoplasia, and studied genomic events associated with progression to lymphoma. In other work we described lineage plasticity in lymphoma, and explored the events leading to transformation of B-cell or T-cell lymphoma to histiocytic/ dendritic cell sarcoma that is still clonally related to the primary lesion.
Publications
Best Practices Guideline for the Pathologic Diagnosis of Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma
Recurrent somatic JAK3 mutations in NK-cell enteropathy
The mutational landscape of histiocytic sarcoma associated with lymphoid malignancy
Biography
Elaine S. Jaffe, M.D.
Dr. Jaffe completed her medical education at Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania, receiving an M.D. from the latter in 1969. After an internship at Georgetown University, she joined the NCI as a resident in anatomic pathology, and has been a senior investigator since 1974, focusing on the classification and definition of lymphoid neoplasms. She has served on the editorial boards of The American Journal of Pathology, The American Journal of Surgical Pathology, Blood, Cancer Research, and Modern Pathology, among others. She has been president of both the Society for Hematopathology as well as the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, and was elected to the advisory board of the American Society of Hematology. In 1993, she was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and in 2005 was Chair of the Medical Sciences Section of AAAS. She was among the 10 most highly cited researchers in clinical medicine for the field of oncology between 1981 and 1998. Among her awards are the Fred W. Stewart Award from Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Mostofi Award from the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, and the Distinguished Clinical Teacher Award from the NIH Fellows Committee. In 2007 she was the second Anita Roberts Lecturer, recognizing women in science at the NIH. She was awarded the Honoris Causa from the University of Barcelona in 2008, and received the Chugai Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Scholarship from the American Society of Investigative Pathology. In 2008 she was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dr. Jaffe was awarded the Henry M. Stratton Medal from the American Society of Hematology in 2013.
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Team
News
Covers
The 2016 revision of the World Health Organization classification of lymphoid neoplasms
A revision of the nearly 8-year-old World Health Organization classification of the lymphoid neoplasms and the accompanying monograph is being published. It reflects a consensus among hematopathologists, geneticists, and clinicians regarding both updates to current entities as well as the addition of a limited number of new provisional entities. The revision clarifies the diagnosis and management of lesions at the very early stages of lymphomagenesis, refines the diagnostic criteria for some entities, details the expanding genetic/molecular landscape of numerous lymphoid neoplasms and their clinical correlates, and refers to investigations leading to more targeted therapeutic strategies. The major changes are reviewed with an emphasis on the most important advances in our understanding that impact our diagnostic approach, clinical expectations, and therapeutic strategies for the lymphoid neoplasms.
The 2016 revision of the World Health Organization classification of lymphoid neoplasms. Swerdlow SH, Campo E, Pileri SA, Harris NL, Stein H, Siebert R, Advani R, Ghielmini M, Salles GA, Zelenetz AD, and Jaffe ES. Blood 2016 May 19;127(20): 2375-90.
Hematopathology, 2nd Edition
The world's leading reference in hematopathology returns with this completely updated second edition. Authored by international experts in the field, it covers a broad range of hematologic disorders -- both benign and malignant -- with information on the pathogenesis, clinical and pathologic diagnosis, and treatment for each. Comprehensive in scope, it's a must-have resource for both residents and practicing pathologists alike.
Arber, Daniel A., Elias Campo, Nancy L. Harris, Elaine Sarkin Jaffe, and Leticia Quintanilla-Martinez. Hematopathology. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier, 2017. Print.
Blood 2016 May 19;127(20): 2375-90.