The European Journal of Haematology has announced that researchers have found a Velcade (bortezomib) and dexamethasone (Decadron) combination is highly effective in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma patients. The study authors caution, however, that the treatment responses appear relatively short-lived.

In the present study, 70 relapsed or refractory myeloma patients–that is, patients whose disease has not responded to previous therapies–received either Velcade alone or a Velcade-dexamethasone combination. The treatments were not equally divided, however, and 87 percent of …

Pooling results from two clinical trials, researchers have announced that Revlimid (lenalidomide) may bolster the immune systems of multiple myeloma patients, thereby helping to reduce dangerous infections.

Myeloma impairs the quality and quantity of antibodies - the “soldiers” of the immune system – that an individual produces. As a result, more than 75 percent of myeloma patients will experience marked immune system depression, becoming vulnerable to potentially life-threatening bacterial infections.

Recurrent bacterial infection, resulting primarily from this immune system …

At the Second International Congress on Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma, recently held in Istanbul, Turkey, researchers summarized the clinical results of Total Therapy trials. Total Therapy, which combines multiple-drug regimens with stem cell transplants, represents significant progress in the fight against myeloma, and its high success rates hold promise for an eventual cure.

In the Total Therapy 1 (TT1) trial, patients received chemotherapy drug regimens of VAD, CTX (cyclophosphamide), and EDAP, as well as the chemotherapeutic agent melphalan (Alkeran), …

A bill to legalize medical marijuana for debilitating conditions, including cancer, recently passed the New Hampshire House and Senate. If the House approves the Senate’s modifications and Governor John Lynch ratifies the bill, New Hampshire will become the fourteenth state to permit medical marijuana use.

Representative Evalyn Merrick, D-Lancaster, who suffers from multiple myeloma, sponsored the current bill. She explained that she smoked marijuana to combat nausea during her cancer treatments several years ago.

“I ask you to please look …

MMRF ‘Laugh For Life’ Fundraising Event — On May 5, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) will host the ‘Laugh For Life’ fundraiser in New York City from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.  The event will feature dinner, live and silent auctions, and an entertaining line up of stand-up comedians.  More information, as well as ticket purchase, may be found at the MMRF Web site.

Dacetuzumab Clinical Trials Currently Enrolling — Seattle Genetics, Inc. has announced preclinical data for …

A recent study in the April issue of Blood compared combination treatment regimens for elderly myeloma patients.

The study found that elderly multiple myeloma patients undergoing treatment with melphalan (Alkeran) and prednisone , known as an MP regimen, enjoyed higher 1-year and overall survival rates than those undergoing treatment with thalidomide (Thalomid) and dexamethasone (Decadron), known as a TD regimen. The combination of thalidomide and dexamethasone resulted in greater tumor reduction, but it did not ultimately …

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved safety label revisions for the multiple myeloma drug Revlimid (lenalidomide), adding a warning for patients with decreased kidney function. Kidney impairment causes the body to clear Revlimid more slowly than normal, and kidney impaired patients should therefore receive reduced dosages.

Revlimid is a novel therapeutic agent that has proven effective, often in combination with dexamethasone (Decadron), in treating initial and relapsed multiple myeloma. Unlike some drugs that are metabolized (broken …