July 2026 Newsletter
Welcome to the July edition of the Mantle Cell Lymphoma Alliance newsletter! We hope you are enjoying a restorative summer and finding time to relax and recharge with family and friends. Whether you are a patient, caregiver, or supporter, thank you for being part of this growing community and for joining us in our mission to improve the lives of everyone affected by mantle cell lymphoma.
It's been a busy and exciting summer for the Mantle Cell Lymphoma Alliance. We are especially proud to have officially launched our Scientific Advisory Board, bringing together a distinguished group of leading MCL clinicians and researchers to help guide our educational and scientific priorities. We've also been meeting with organizations in the lymphoma community and several pharmaceutical companies to explore partnerships and identify ways we can work together to advance the interests of MCL patients. At the same time, we've continued expanding the patient resources on our website, growing our presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram (please follow us at the links below!), and launching our partnership with Imerman Angels to connect patients and caregivers with one-on-one peer mentors. These are just a few of the initiatives underway as we continue building the organization we wish had existed when we or our loved ones were first diagnosed.
Read on to learn more about these efforts, the latest research updates, and a patient profile. As always, thank you for your support and for being part of the Mantle Cell Lymphoma Alliance community.
Launch of Scientific Advisory Board
The MCLA is proud to announce the formation of its inaugural Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), a group of internationally recognized physicians and researchers dedicated to advancing progress in the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma. The establishment of the SAB marks a major milestone for the organization and reinforces the MCLA's commitment to improving patient outcomes and advancing the search for a cure.
The SAB will be chaired by Dr. Tycel Phillips of City of Hope National Medical Center, a nationally recognized lymphoma expert and leading voice in mantle cell lymphoma research and clinical care.
Partnership with Imerman Angels
When we launched MCLA Voices to solicit feedback from the MCL community, one message came through louder than any other: patients and caregivers wanted someone who had walked this road to walk beside them. Not a pamphlet. Not a hotline. A person.
We're proud to share that the Mantle Cell Lymphoma Alliance has officially partnered with Imerman Angels, the leader in free, one-to-one cancer mentorship. Through this partnership, MCL patients, survivors, and caregivers can be matched — one to one — with a trained mentor who has been through it.
Patient Profile: Kelly Petit DeWitt
Four years ago today, my life changed in an instant.
On July 13, 2022, I was rushed by ambulance to the hospital with severe pain. That's when doctors discovered a 2½-pound mass about the size of a football on my ovary.
We prepared ourselves to hear the words "ovarian cancer."
Instead, I was diagnosed with something I'd never even heard of: mantle cell lymphoma with the blastoid variant.
Study Projects Increase in Annual Mantle Cell Lymphoma Diagnoses by 2032
A new study by researchers from Merck, using data from the National Cancer Institute, projects that annual diagnoses of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in the United States will increase over the coming years. By 2032, the number of new MCL diagnoses each year is expected to be about 6% higher than it was in 2023. The study also projects more diagnoses among women and people younger than 65, while the total number of people living with MCL is expected to grow.
Warmly, the Mantle Cell Lymphoma Alliance