A new study indicates that a short-course treatment with Kepivance (palifermin) prior to high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation may be sufficient to decrease mouth ulcers and the supportive care required by multiple myeloma patients after a stem cell transplant.

In multiple myeloma patients under the age of 65, high-dose chemotherapy followed by an autologous stem cell transplant is the preferred and most effective treatment option. However, the high dose of chemotherapy often causes severe side effects such as oral …

As survival increases among multiple myeloma patients and as detection methods improve, a higher rate of plasma cell tumors are being detected outside the bone marrow of these patients, a new study published in the Annals of Oncology suggests. The authors also concluded that the increase is not caused by high-dose therapy or novel therapeutic agents.

Non-marrow tumors, also known as extramedullary disease, occur when plasma cell tumors develop outside of the bone marrow in soft tissue or organs.

Coinciding …

A combination therapy of weekly Velcade (bortezomib), Doxil (pegylated liposomal doxorubicin), and dexamethasone (Decadron) led to a high response rate and moderate side effects in elderly patients with relapsed or refractory myeloma, according to a study published in the journal Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia.

Previous studies have shown a complementary, additive relationship between Velcade and other drugs, such as Doxil and dexamethasone. However, a three-fold combination has never been evaluated in patients over the age of …

The findings of a recent study indicate that the combination regimen of Revlimid (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone (Decadron) is effective and safe in multiple myeloma patients with reduced kidney function and may even improve kidney function in some patients when the Revlimid dosage is adjusted according to kidney function. The study was published in the European Journal of Haematology.

Because of its effectiveness, the combination of Revlimid and dexamethasone (RD) has become a standard treatment option for patients …

A new study published in the journal Leukemia determined that when treated with Revlimid (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone (Decadron), relapsed and refractory myeloma patients with genetic risk factors experience lower response rates and shorter progression-free and overall survival durations.

Researchers also discovered that prior treatment with thalidomide (Thalomid) was associated with a decreased progression-free and overall survival.

Multiple myeloma patients with the chromosomal abnormalities del(13), t(4;14) or del(17p) are associated with a poorer prognosis in response to traditional …

The year 2009 brought a lot of new and ex­cit­ing ad­vancements in the field of mul­ti­ple myeloma. Over the course of 2009, The Myeloma Beacon covered more than 100 im­por­tant myeloma-related stud­ies.

To highlight the most im­por­tant of these stud­ies, the Myeloma Beacon surveyed lead­ing physicians and re­searchers in the field. These physicians and re­searchers were asked to name the three peer reviewed journal articles pub­lished in 2009 and the three conference abstracts from 2009 that have the most …

A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology determined that patients who achieved very good partial response (VGPR) or better after high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation experienced significantly longer event-free and overall survival.

“Very good partial response” is one of the terms defined by the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) to categorize how patients respond to treatment. According to IMWG criteria (see related Beacon news), patients reach very good partial response when the level of abnormal …