Using a novel model-based projection method, researchers have announced that long-term survival rates for young multiple myeloma patients are not only higher than ever before, but also higher than current estimates suggest.

Patients under age 45 who are diagnosed in 2006-2010 can expect a 5-year relative survival rate of 68 percent and a 10-year relative survival rate of 55 percent. Relative survival reflects the survival of multiple myeloma patients compared to the general population. These values …

Researchers have discovered that green tea inactivates the anti-cancer properties of Velcade (bor­tez­o­mib), a promising and frequently used drug for treating multiple myeloma.

In recent years, green tea prod­ucts have become a popular health supple­ment after studies dem­onstrated that one of its active com­­pounds, EGCG polyphenol, can act as a potent anti-cancer agent. “Cancer patients look to green tea extracts among other natural supple­ments to complement their thera­peutic regi­mens,” said Axel Schonthal, Ph.D., of the University of Southern California …

Numerous treatment options are available to multiple myeloma patients, with the therapeutic objective of inducing complete remission (CR) or at least very good partial remission (VGPR).

In the American Society of Hematology's recent Education Program Book, "Hematology," researcher Jean-Luc Harousseau compares treatment regimens with and without a stem cell transplant component. In addition, he examines the mounting belief that complete remission, a potentially unreliable prognostic indicator, should cease to be the therapeutic goal in all situations.  …

For more than four decades, the standard of care in elderly multiple myeloma patients over age 65 has been a combination of melphalan (a chemotherapy drug) and prednisone (a steroid). Yet, this regimen, known as MP, only achieves a five percent complete remission rate.

The advent of novel therapeutic agents has greatly improved treatment outcomes.

Multiple researchers have tested an MP plus thalidomide (Thalomid) regimen, or MPT, and the majority of these studies have found that MPT yields superior …

In young patients under age 65, stem cell transplants have greatly reduced remission rates when coupled with novel therapeutic agents (thalidomide, Velcade, and Revlimid).

Unlike elderly patients, younger individuals are usually healthy enough to withstand an intensive course of high-dose chemotherapy. The chemotherapy, while a potent killer of cancerous cells, also destroys bone marrow, therefore necessitating a transplant after treatment. In conjunction with high-dose therapy and transplant, the introduction of novel agents has further improved complete …

A large-scale, retrospective study has confirmed an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) with multiple myeloma or its precursor condition, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS).

DVT is a potentially lethal clot formation in the deep veins of the body. If a clot dislodges, it may travel to other areas and block blood flow to vital organs. Researchers estimate that approximately 70 percent of all critical blockages of lung blood vessels originate from DVT in the pelvis or lower …

Researchers have achieved major strides in the treatment of multiple myeloma in the last ten years with the use of drugs such as thalidomide (marketed as Thalomid), Revlimid (lenalidomide), and Velcade (bortezomib). In conjunction with high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation, these various therapeutic options have increased patients’ treatment response and remission rates.

In a recent clinical trial involving Total Treatment 3 (TT3), 80% of patients who received up-front chemotherapy, …