It’s been said over and over that multiple myeloma encompasses a wide spectrum of diseases.

It includes people with the precursor diseases monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering multiple myeloma. It also includes newly diagnosed patients with active myeloma, those approaching their first stem cell transplant, some patients who are fairly stable on maintenance therapy, and those progressing after various treatments.

I think the different phases of the disease are reflected well by the diverse perspectives of the …

Shortly after starting my new compassionate use protocol with elo­tuzu­mab, which I described in my previous column, I began to have elevated levels of my liver enzymes.

It initially was unclear whether this was occurring due to a reaction to the drug, a tumor in the liver, or other possible causes.

After several tests, including an MRI, a PET scan, and blood workup, the source of the problem was found to be unrelated to my new treatment. …

In statistics, N refers to the number of subjects in the sample, or the sam­ple size. In a scientific study such as a clinical trial, N is the number of patients en­rolled in each arm of the study. Generally speaking, the larger the N, the stronger the validity of the trial.

From a statistical standpoint, an N of 1 would have no real significance. In fact, we were always taught in medical school that an N of 1 is an …

Having recently been discharged from the hospital after my third cycle of high-dose chemo, I was at the outpatient clinic at the hospital recently on a Saturday for lab work and a checkup.

The medical tech who was drawing my blood was a woman I have come to know.  She has seen me walking in, dragging myself in, and being wheeled in through years of treatment.  She has seen me through two stem cell transplants, a donor transplant, multiple rounds …

Hardly a day goes by when I am not inundated with the news of incredible advances that have been made in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Survival rates have gone from three years to five years and now to eight to ten years.

Five new drugs have been approved for the treatment of myeloma over the last decade.  A couple of dozen more are in various stages of clinical trials.

We are tantalized by the promises of “breakthroughs” just on …

I took off from writing my column in January while under­going treat­ment and try­ing to sort through other treatment options.

Since my donor (allogeneic) stem cell transplant in August 2012, my multiple myeloma had recurred again with aggressive extramedullary disease (myeloma outside of the blood and bone marrow).

This progression occurred despite several cycles of a regimen of Kyprolis (car­filzomib), Pomalyst (pomalidomide, Imnovid), cyclophosphamide (Cy­toxan), and dexamethasone (Decadron), leaving me in a …

How are you?

Ah, one of the simplest questions in the world.  A common part of civilized speech, asked dozens of times a day.  It’s thrown around everywhere.

A quick reply of “Fine, and you?” and move on with your world.

As a cancer patient, I have become increasingly perplexed with this question and how best to answer it.  I am certain that we all face the same dilemma.

It is, of course, a loaded question, and the real answer …