Thank you Nancy for your kind wishes, and a succinct summary of CAR-T therapy. I hope to write a guest column for the Myeloma Beacon, detailing my experience, and reviewing the science behind this novel immunotherapy soon.

Thank you, Mark, for your reply. Yes, I am very glad I found the CAR-T trial at UPenn. It has already been worth it for me to fly across country from my home in Eugene OR to Philly for 6 weeks, with my wife who has been a devoted caregiver. Really, I only had four viable options for treatment this f...

Hello, Pootren. I just saw your clinical question, which I hope I can answer for you. Normochromic and normocytic anemia means a deficiency of red blood cells (RBC's) and hemoglobin (Hgb), which still retains the red color and normal volume of normal RBC's. This is different than the most common cau...

In addition to the two points Dr. Landau wisely listed above, I would like to add a third. Bone marrow biopsies sample a small area of the ischial bone marrow, which may not be representative of the overall distribution of malignant plasma cells in the body. Neither are SPEP or UPEP tests for M prot...

Updating Mark's detailed post: Dr. Stadtmauer's team at UPenn has started a CAR-T CD19 trial for high risk multiple myeloma patients (those who relapsed within a year of their first ASCT). In the three patients who have received their own genetically modified T cells (following a second ASCT), all a...

Thank you, Myeloma Beacon for posting the description of Lee's book, and for my fellow readers for making it the top choice in our inaugural book club. I have to disclose that Lee became a dear friend of mine before his passing from esophageal cancer in Sept. 2011, and still is a role model for me. ...

Yes, I too experience intermittent muscle cramps in muscle groups which have never spasmed before. I’m a 56 y.o. former marathon walker on 10 mg Revlimid maintenance, one year after ASCT. Recently I added calcium/magnesium supplements, and eat a couple bananas for potassium, which seems to help. Goo...