This is the second of four installments in a series covering investigative tools used for diagnosing multiple myeloma.

The diagnostic work-up for detecting multiple myeloma traditionally includes: (1) confirmation of excessive growth of plasma cells; (2) evaluation of end-organ damage, which will be discussed here; and (3) determination of possible factors that may affect therapy and long-term outcome.

End-organ damage is damage to major body organs that are nourished by the blood, such as the …

This is the first of four installments in a series covering investigative tools used for diagnosing multiple myeloma.

The diagnostic work-up for detecting multiple myeloma traditionally includes: (1) confirmation of the expansion of clonal plasma cells, or a group of plasma cells; (2) evaluation of organ damage; and (3) determination of possible factors that may affect therapy and long-term outcome. This article will touch on clonal plasma cell expansion.

Clonal plasma cell expansion …

A recent policy change has broadened Medicare’s coverage of off-label cancer drugs. The new policy took effect in November 2008.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves drugs for the treatment of specific conditions or diseases based on the results of clinical trials. But many physicians prescribe these drugs to patients for conditions other than those for which they have been formally approved, which is known as off-label use. Government spending on off-label prescriptions is an issue that has long …

On Saturday, the University of Chicago Medical Center hosted the third of eight free lectures in a series titled, “Blood, Stem Cells and Cancers of the Blood.” Wei Xu, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Chicago, first explained basic cancer terminology and then presented an overview of three blood cancers: leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma.

Xu explained that a neoplasm is an abnormal proliferation of cells. Two examples of neoplasm are a tumor and cancer. A tumor is …

Last week, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) held a workshop in Chicago titled “Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma: Its Effect on the African American Community.” While a previous Beacon article describes the issue of racial disparities, several other topics were also discussed.

Chromosomal Abnormalities – Nearly all patients with multiple myeloma demonstrate an abnormal number of chromosomes. A karyotype, which is a technique that analyzes chromosomes, can signify either good or poor prognosis. For example, having less …

On Tuesday, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) held a workshop in Chicago titled “Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma: Its Effect on the African American Community.” The pilot program was MMRF’s first attempt at reaching out specifically to primary care physicians in underserved areas.

The program focused on why the risk of developing multiple myeloma is twice as great in African-Americans than it is in Caucasians. Possible explanations include the presence of a condition called MGUS …

Zolinza (vorinostat), a drug already approved for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, is currently undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of multiple myeloma.  Preliminary results look encouraging.

The drug is the first in a class called histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors to be approved for cancer treatment.

The majority of chemotherapy drugs work by attacking cancer cell DNA with the intention of damaging it. HDAC inhibitors work differently. They alter the way DNA is converted into proteins.

DNA is arranged in chromosomes, which …