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Carla Casulo, M.D.

Carla Casulo, M.D.

Cancer

UR Medicine Faculty The University of Rochester Medical Faculty Group (URMFG) consists of over 900 specialist and primary care providers spanning 19 departments. URMFG is certified by the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
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Locations

Wilmot Cancer Center

90 Crittenden Boulevard
Rochester, NY 14642

About Me

Professional Background

Carla Casulo, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, and Assistant Director of Cancer Research Training and Education at the Wilmot Cancer Institute. She was awarded her medical degree from the State University of New York (Downstate) in Brooklyn, New York. She later completed her Internship, Residenc...
Carla Casulo, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, and Assistant Director of Cancer Research Training and Education at the Wilmot Cancer Institute. She was awarded her medical degree from the State University of New York (Downstate) in Brooklyn, New York. She later completed her Internship, Residency and Chief Residency in Internal Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

Dr. Casulo completed Hematology and Oncology Fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York. Dr. Casulo was honored as recipient of numerous awards, including the John W. Bracket Housestaff Teaching Award at Yale University School of Medicine, the Mortimer Latcher Fellowship Award from the Lymphoma Foundation, and the NIH John Calabresi K12 Career Development Award. Dr Casulo was recipient of The NIH Loan Repayment Award and was a Scholar in the Lymphoma Research Foundation Clinical Research Mentoring Program.

Dr. Casulo is an international expert and clinician-researcher in all forms of lymphoma, best known for her pivotal work in follicular lymphoma. She also has an expertise and passion for young adults with lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma. Dr. Casulo’s research focuses on identifying risk and individual prognosis to address patient's treatment needs and sequence of therapy using a precision approach. Dr. Casulo uses real world, large patient datasets and clinical trials to discover patterns of therapy, new treatments, and ways to improve survival for patients with lymphoma.

Dr. Casulo has presented her work and lectured on various lymphoma topics at numerous conferences, both nationally and internationally. She has been Chair of lymphoma sessions at The American Society of Hematology, The American Society of Clinical Oncology, and The International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma. She is a passionate mentor of students and trainees, and the recipient of numerous teaching and mentoring awards, including the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry Trainee Academic Mentoring Award in Clinical Programs.

Dr Casulo is a Steering Committee Member and Chair of the Women in Lymphoma Global Organization. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, in both Hematology and Medical Oncology.

Languages

English, Spanish

Certified Specialties

Hematology - American Board of Internal Medicine

Medical Oncology - American Board of Internal Medicine

Faculty Appointments

Associate Professor - Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology (SMD)

Associate Professor - Cancer Center - Joint

Credentials

Residency & Fellowship

Fellowship, Hematology & Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. 2008 - 2011

Residency, Internal Medicine, Yale New Haven Hospital. 2005 - 2007

Internship, Internal Medicine, Yale New Haven Hospital. 2004 - 2005

Education

MD | SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University - College of Medicine. 2004

Awards

Nominee, Arthur W. Bauman Teaching Award. 2019

Selected among national competitors, AAMC Early Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar. 2018

Nominee, Arthur W. Bauman Teaching Wardy. 2018

Arthur W. Bauman Teaching Award. 2017

Hematology/Oncology Training Program Teacher of the Year Award. 2016

ICARE Patient Centered Bronze Star Award. 2016

National Institute of Health Loan Repayment Award. 2016

Lymphoma Research Foundation Clinical Research Mentoring Program Recipient. 2015

American Society of Hematology Clinical Research Training Institute. 2014

SPORE Career Development Award in Lymphoma Research. 2013 - 2014

Abstract Achievement Award. 2011

Career Development Award (K12 Grant). 2010 - 2012

Competitively Selected. 2009

Latcher Fellowship Award. 2009 - 2010

John W Bracket House Staff Teaching Award. 2008

Intern of the Year. 2005

Golden Key National Honor Society. 1999

Thomas Hunter Honors Program. 1999

Cum Laude. 1999

Research

Clinical Trials

A Phase II Study of PET Adapted Therapy and Non-invasive Monitoring for Previously Untreated Limited Stage Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma

Lead Researcher: Carla Casulo

The overarching goals of this study are to measure levels of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with early stage diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), to assess the change in ctDNA during treatment in order to prospectively identify markers o...

A Randomized Phase 3 Trial of Nivolumab (NSC# 748726) in Combination With Chemo-Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Primary Mediastinal B-Cell Lymphoma

Lead Researcher: Carla Casulo

This phase III trial compares the effects of nivolumab with chemo-immunotherapy versus chemo-immunotherapy alone in treating patients with newly diagnosed primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as ...

A Randomized Phase 3 Interim Response Adapted Trial Comparing Standard Therapy With Immuno-Oncology Therapy for Children and Adults With Newly Diagnosed Stage I and II Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma

Lead Researcher: Carla Casulo

This phase III trial compares the effect of adding immunotherapy (brentuximab vedotin and nivolumab) to standard treatment (chemotherapy with or without radiation) to the standard treatment alone in improving survival in patients with stage I and II ...

Publications

Journal Articles

Follicular Lymphoma: Redefining Prognosis, Current Treatment Options, and Unmet Needs.

Welaya K, Casulo C

Hematology/oncology clinics of North America.. 2019 August 33 (4):627-638. Epub 05/18/2019.

Outcomes for Relapsed and Refractory Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma Patients after Front-Line Therapy from the COMPLETE Registry.

Lansigan F, Horwitz SM, Pinter-Brown LC, Rosen ST, Pro B, Hsi ED, Federico M, Gisselbrecht C, Schwartz M, Bellm LA, Acosta M, Shustov AR, Advani RH, Feldman T, Lechowicz MJ, Smith SM, Tulpule A, Craig MD, Greer JP, Kahl BS, Leach JW, Morganstein N, Casulo C, Park SI, Foss FM

Acta haematologica.. 2019 July 17 :1-11. Epub 07/17/2019.

Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma requiring urgent treatment: its implication on trial design and interpretation.

Loh KP, Baran A, Lee CY, Alshaibani A, Rutherford SC, Hu J, Casulo C, Barr PM, Friedberg JW, Reagan PM

Leukemia & lymphoma.. 2019 July 8 :1-4. Epub 07/08/2019.

How I manage patients with follicular lymphoma.

Casulo C

British journal of haematology.. 2019 June 7 Epub 06/07/2019.

Venetoclax plus R- or G-CHOP in non-Hodgkin lymphoma: results from the CAVALLI phase 1b trial.

Zelenetz AD, Salles G, Mason KD, Casulo C, Le Gouill S, Sehn LH, Tilly H, Cartron G, Chamuleau MED, Goy A, Tam CS, Lugtenburg PJ, Petrich AM, Sinha A, Samineni D, Herter S, Ingalla E, Szafer-Glusman E, Klein C, Sampath D, Kornacker M, Mobasher M, Morschhauser F

Blood.. 2019 May 2133 (18):1964-1976. Epub 03/08/2019.

Burkitt lymphoma- a rare but challenging lymphoma. Casulo C, Friedberg JW. Best Pract Res Clin Haematol. 2018 Sep;31(3):279-284.

2018; 1.

Unmet needs in the first-line treatment of follicular lymphoma.

Casulo C, Nastoupil L, Fowler NH, Friedberg JW, Flowers CR

Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology. 2017 September 128 (9):2094-2106. Epub 1900 01 01.

A prospective cohort study of patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma in the United States.

Carson KR, Horwitz SM, Pinter-Brown LC, Rosen ST, Pro B, Hsi ED, Federico M, Gisselbrecht C, Schwartz M, Bellm LA, Acosta MA, Shustov AR, Advani RH, Feldman TA, Lechowicz MJ, Smith SM, Lansigan F, Tulpule A, Craig MD, Greer JP, Kahl BS, Leach JW, Morganstein N, Casulo C, Park SI, Foss FM

Cancer.. 2017 April 1123 (7):1174-1183. Epub 12/02/2016.

Analysis of Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma Diagnostic Workup in the United States.

Hsi ED, Horwitz SM, Carson KR, Pinter-Brown LC, Rosen ST, Pro B, Federico M, Gisselbrecht C, Schwartz M, Bellm LA, Acosta M, Collie AM, Gruver AM, Grzywacz BJ, Turakhia S, Shustov AR, Advani RH, Feldman T, Lechowicz MJ, Smith SM, Lansigan F, Tulpule A, Craig MD, Greer JP, Kahl BS, Leach JW, Morganstein N, Casulo C, Park SI, Foss FM

Clinical lymphoma, myeloma & leukemia.. 2017 April 17 (4):193-200. Epub 01/10/2017.

Late Relapses After High-dose Chemotherapy and Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients With Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma in the Rituximab Era.

Hunter BD, Herr M, Meacham PJ, Barlaskar F, Evans AG, Burack WR, Liesveld JL, Becker MW, Milner LA, Constine LS, Dhakal S, Barr PM, Friedberg JW, Casulo C

Clinical lymphoma, myeloma & leukemia.. 2017 March 17 (3):145-151. Epub 11/23/2016.

T-Cell Lymphoma: Recent Advances in Characterization and New Opportunities for Treatment.

Casulo C, O'Connor O, Shustov A, Fanale M, Friedberg JW, Leonard JP, Kahl BS, Little RF, Pinter-Brown L, Advani R, Horwitz S

Journal of the National Cancer Institute.. 2017 February 109 (2)Epub 12/31/2016.

Transformation of marginal zone lymphoma (and association with other lymphomas).

Casulo C, Friedberg J

Best practice & research. Clinical haematology.. 2017 30 (1-2):131-138. Epub 11/04/2016.

Prognostic factors in follicular lymphoma: new tools to personalize risk.

Casulo C

Hematology. 2016 December 22016 (1):269-276. Epub 1900 01 01.

Patterns and Timing of Failure for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma After Initial Therapy in a Cohort Who Underwent Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation for Relapse.

Dhakal S, Bates JE, Casulo C, Friedberg JW, Becker MW, Liesveld JL, Constine LS

International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics.. 2016 October 196 (2):372-378. Epub 05/27/2016.

Brentuximab vedotin and AVD followed by involved-site radiotherapy in early stage, unfavorable risk Hodgkin lymphoma.

Kumar A, Casulo C, Yahalom J, Schöder H, Barr PM, Caron P, Chiu A, Constine LS, Drullinsky P, Friedberg JW, Gerecitano JF, Hamilton A, Hamlin PA, Horwitz SM, Jacob AG, Matasar MJ, McArthur GN, McCall SJ, Moskowitz AJ, Noy A, Palomba ML, Portlock CS, Straus DJ, VanderEls N, Verwys SL, Yang J, Younes A, Zelenetz AD, Zhang Z, Moskowitz CH

Blood.. 2016 September 15128 (11):1458-64. Epub 07/25/2016.

Consolidative Radioimmunotherapy After Chemoimmunotherapy in Patients With Histologic Transformation of Indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Reagan PM, Baran A, Kelly JL, Barr PM, Casulo C, Chengazi VU, Friedberg JW

Clinical lymphoma, myeloma & leukemia.. 2016 June 16 (6):322-328.e2. Epub 04/02/2016.

Novel Drugs in Follicular Lymphoma.

Anastasia A, Rossi G

Mediterranean journal of hematology and infectious diseases.. 2016 8 (1):e2016061. Epub 11/01/2016.

Disease characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of follicular lymphoma in patients 40 years of age and younger: an analysis from the National Lymphocare Study†.

Casulo C, Day B, Dawson KL, Zhou X, Flowers CR, Farber CM, Hainsworth JD, Cerhan JR, Link BK, Zelenetz AD, Friedberg JW

Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology. 2015 November 26 (11):2311-7. Epub 09/11/2015.

Inhibition of COP9-signalosome (CSN) deneddylating activity and tumor growth of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas by doxycycline.

Pulvino M, Chen L, Oleksyn D, Li J, Compitello G, Rossi R, Spence S, Balakrishnan V, Jordan C, Poligone B, Casulo C, Burack R, Shapiro JL, Bernstein S, Friedberg JW, Deshaies RJ, Land H, Zhao J

Oncotarget.. 2015 June 206 (17):14796-813. Epub 1900 01 01.

Inhibition of COP9-signalosome (CSN) deneddylating activity and tumor growth of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas by doxycycline. Oncotarget, in press May 2015.

Mary Pulvino, Luojing Chen, David Oleksyn, Jing Li, George Compitello, Randy Rossi, Stephen Spence, Vijaya Balakrishnan, Craig Jordan, Brian Poligone, Carla Carla, Richard Burack, Joel Shapiro, Steven Bernstein, Jonathan Friedberg, Raymond Deshaies, Hartmut Land, and Jiyong Zhao.

2015; .

Treatment of Burkitt Lymphoma in Adults. Current Hematologic Malignancy Reports, in press May 2015.

Casulo, C, Friedberg JF.

2015; .

Relapse of Follicular Lymphoma After R-CHOP Defines Patients at High Risk for Death: An Analysis from the National LymphoCare Study. Blood, November 15, 2015.

Casulo, C, Byrtek M, Dawson K, Zhou X, Farber C, Flowers C, Hainsworth J, Maurer M, Cerhn J, Link B, Zelenetz A, Friedberg J. Early.

2015; .

Transformed Follicular Non Hodgkin Lymphoma. Blood, January 2015

Casulo C, Burack R, Friedberg J.

2015; .

Kiebala M, Skalska J, Casulo C, Brookes PS, Peterson DR, Hilchey SP, Dai Y, Grant S, Magginwar SB, Bernstein SH. Dual Targeting of the Thioredoxin and Glutahione Antioxidant Systems in Malignant B Cells: A Novel Synergistic Therapeutic Approach. Exp Hematol 2015 Feb; 42(2): 89-99.

Kiebala M, Skalska J, Casulo C, Brookes PS, Peterson DR, Hilchey SP, Dai Y, Grant S, Magginwar SB, Bernstein SH.

2015; .

A Phase I Study of PRO131921, a Novel Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibody in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory CD20+ Indolent NHL: Correlation between Clinical Responses and AUC Pharmacokinetics Corresponding Author: Dr. Carla Casulo

Casulo, C; Vose, J;Ho, W; Kahl,B; Brunvand, M; Goy, A; Kasamon, Y; Cheson,B; Friedberg, J.

2014; .

Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Fine-Needle Aspiration and/or Core Needle Biopsy for Sub-classifying Lymphoma. Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, May 2014

Feeney J, Sharma S, Casulo C, Burack R.

2014; .

Phase 2 study of imexon, a prooxidant molecule, in relapsed and refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Blood, 2014

Barr PM, Miller TP, Friedberg JW, Peterson DR, Baran AM, Herr M, Spier CM, Cui H, Roe DJ, Persky DO, Casulo C, Littleton J, Schwartz M, Puvvada S, Landowski TH, Rimsza LM, Dorr RT, Fisher RI, Bernstein SH, Briehl MM.

2014; .

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in the staging and prognosis of T cell lymphoma.

Casulo C, Schöder H, Feeney J, Lim R, Maragulia J, Zelenetz AD, Horwitz S

Leukemia & lymphoma.. 2013 October 54 (10):2163-7. Epub 03/04/2013.

Tumor associated macrophages in relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma.

Casulo C, Arcila M, Bohn OL, Teruya-Feldstein J, Maragulia J, Moskowitz CH

Leukemia research.. 2013 September 37 (9):1178-83. Epub 05/21/2013.

Incidence of Hypogammalobulinemia in Patients Receiving Rituximab and the Use of Intravenous Immunoglobulin for Recurrent Infections

Casulo, C; Maragulia, J; Zelenetz AD.

Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leukemia. 2013; Epub ahead of print.

Treatment of early-stage follicular lymphoma: do as I say, not as I do

Casulo, C; Friedberg J.

International Journal of Hematologic Oncology. 2013; 2(1): 1-3.

Book Review Lymphoma: Diagnosis and Treatment, Edited by Anas Younes, Lymphoma Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New york, NY; Bertrand Coiffer, Service d'Hematologie CHU Lyon-Sud, Pierre Benite, France, Humana Press, ISBN 978-1-62703-4

Casulo,C.

Leukemia Research. 2013; 37(12): 1757.

Should eligible patients with T-cell lymphoma receive high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplant in the upfront setting?

Casulo C, Horwitz S

Current oncology reports.. 2010 November 12 (6):374-82. Epub 1900 01 01.

Metabolic Abnormalities Detected in Phase II Evaluation of Doxycycline in Dogs with Multicentric B-Cell Lymphoma.

How I treat early-relapsing follicular lymphoma

Casulo C, Barr PM.

Blood. 2019 Apr 4;133(14):1540-1547. doi: 10.1182/blood-2018-08-822148. Epub 2019 Jan 30. Review.

The role of autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with nodal peripheral T-cell lymphomas in first complete remission: Report from COMPLETE, a prospective, multicenter cohort study.

Park SI, Horwitz SM, Foss FM, Pinter-Brown LC, Carson KR, Rosen ST, Pro B, Hsi ED, Federico M, Gisselbrecht C, Schwartz M, Bellm LA, Acosta M, Advani RH, Feldman T, Lechowicz MJ, Smith SM, Lansigan F, Tulpule A, Craig MD, Greer JP, Kahl BS, Leach JW, Morganstein N, Casulo C, Shustov AR; COMPLETE Investigators.

Cancer. 2019 May 1;125(9):1507-1517. doi: 10.1002/cncr.31861. Epub 2019 Jan 29. Erratum in: Cancer. 2019 Nov 1;125(21):3893.

Rituximab maintenance in elderly patients with follicular lymphoma.

Casulo C.

Leuk Res. 2019 Jan;76:96-97. doi: 0.1016/j.leukres.2018.10.014. Epub 2018 Oct 28. No abstract available.

Ibrutinib Dose Adherence and Therapeutic Efficacy in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Single-Center Experience.

Williams AM, Baran AM, Casulo C, Reagan P, Friedberg JW, Helber M, Moore J, Baloga E, Zent CS, Barr PM.

Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2019 Jan;19(1):41-47. doi: 10.1016/j.clml.2018.10.005. Epub 2018 Oct 13.

Autologous Transplantation in Follicular Lymphoma with Early Therapy Failure: A National LymphoCare Study and Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research Analysis.

Casulo C, Friedberg JW, Ahn KW, Flowers C, DiGilio A, Smith SM, Ahmed S, Inwards D, Aljurf M, Chen AI, Choe H, Cohen J, Copelan E, Farooq U, Fenske TS, Freytes C, Gaballa S, Ganguly S, Jethava Y, Kamble RT, Kenkre VP, Lazarus H, Lazaryan A, Olsson RF, Rezvani AR, Rizzieri D, Seo S, Shah GL, Shah N, Solh M, Sureda A, William B, Cumpston A, Zelenetz AD, Link BK, Hamadani M.

Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2018 Jun;24(6):1163-1171. doi: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2017.12.771. Epub 2017 Dec 11.

When to Choose Transplant in Follicular Lymphoma: Navigating a Complex Landscape.

Casulo C, Flowers CR.

J Oncol Pract. 2017 Dec;13(12):808-809. doi: 10.1200/JOP.2017.028340. No abstract available.

Outcomes of adults and children with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma treated with dose-adjusted EPOCH-R.

Giulino-Roth L, O'Donohue T, Chen Z, Bartlett NL, LaCasce A, Martin-Doyle W, Barth MJ, Davies K, Blum KA, Christian B, Casulo C, Smith SM, Godfrey J, Termuhlen A, Oberley MJ, Alexander S, Weitzman S, Appel B, Mizukawa B, Svoboda J, Afify Z, Pauly M, Dave H, Gardner R, Stephens DM, Zeitler WA, Forlenza C, Levine J, Williams ME, Sima JL, Bollard CM, Leonard JP.

Br J Haematol. 2017 Dec;179(5):739-747. doi: 10.1111/bjh.14951. Epub 2017 Oct 29.

Benefit from the inclusion of radiation therapy in the treatment of patients with stage III classical Hodgkin lymphoma: A propensity matched analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database.

Bates JE, Dhakal S, Mazloom A, Casulo C, Constine LS.

Radiother Oncol. 2017 Aug;124(2):325-330. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2017.07.016. Epub 2017 Aug 1.

Chemotherapy free treatment of indolent lymphoma.

Casulo C, Friedberg JW.

Hematol Oncol. 2017 Jun;35 Suppl 1:20-24. doi: 10.1002/hon.2395. Review. No abstract available.

Books

Lugano Educational Book (2017)

Chapter: Chemotherapy Free Treatment for Follicular Lymphoma

Authors: Carla Casulo

Publisher: Lugano, International Conference for Malignant Lymphoma - Lugano Educational Book 2017

Williams Hematology Malignant Lymphoid Disease (2017)

Chapter: Burkitt Lymphoma

Authors: Carla Casulo, Jonathan Friedberg, and Andrew G. Evans

Publisher: Cenveo Publisher Services 2017

Hematology-Oncology Therapy (2014)

Chapter: Lymphoma, Non Hodgkin

Authors: Schafer-Cutillo J, Casulo C, Friedberg J, Fisher R

Publisher: McGraw-Hill 2014

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Cancer Drug Discovery and Development (2013)

Chapter: The Role of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas

Authors: Goldberg JD, Casulo C, Horwitz SM

Publisher: Springer 2013

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