Dr. Sagar Lonial, associate professor at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and trained bone marrow physician, recently commented on two studies in the journal Blood that focused on high-risk multiple myeloma.

Lonial, an ad hoc article reviewer for Blood, Cancer Research, and other journals, has a particular interest in molecular therapies for lymphoma and myeloma. His recent research focuses on combinations of novel drugs that could be used to treat the two diseases.

In his article, titled “Risky …

A study published in the July issue of the journal Blood examines quality of life in individuals who have undergone allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), a procedure often used to treat multiple myeloma patients.

Allogeneic HCT involves the transplantation of stem cells donated from one person to another person. Stem cells, found in the bone marrow, develop into red blood cells, white blood cells, and blood platelets. When a person with myeloma or another type of blood cancer goes through …

Fill The House For LLS – On July 1, the Cleveland Indians baseball team is sponsoring a fundraiser event that will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). This event will take place at Progressive Field at 7 p.m, and the tickets will cost $16 if purchased from the LLS, otherwise $22. The Indians will donate $5 for each ticket sold by the LLS and $1 for every other ticket purchased. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit …

Kidney failure, the inability of the kidneys to properly expel waste from the body, is a common side effect of multiple myeloma. Approximately 20 percent of all myeloma patients develop progressive kidney failure sometime during the course of their disease.

The signs and symptoms of kidney failure that often occur in myeloma patients include hypercalcemia and excess free light chains in the blood.

Hypercalcemia is a disorder that occurs when a myeloma patient’s affected or damaged bone dissolves and creates …

The journal Blood recently published a report showing a higher than normal incidence of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a blood disorder that can progress to multiple myeloma, among men regularly exposed to pesticides.

This study, which assessed the risk of MGUS among male pesticide applicators, supports the hypothesis that certain pesticides may be a cause of multiple myeloma.

MGUS is a non-cancerous condition that affects blood plasma cells. Plasma cells are responsible for producing antibodies, which are …

An American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting abstract describes initial results from an ongoing Phase 2 study of romidepsin combined with Velcade (bortezomib) for patients with relapsed or refractory myeloma.

Romidepsin is a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi). An HDACi is a compound that disrupts the function of enzymes called histone deacetylases, which contribute to the spread of myeloma.

Laboratory studies have determined that HDACis such as romidepsin significantly reduce the growth of myeloma cells. Additionally, HDACis can …

An American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting abstract, to be presented on June 1 at the ASCO Annual Meeting, describes a study on the combined effects of tanespimycin and Velcade (bortezomib) on patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. Researchers found that combining tanespimycin and Velcade strengthened the drugs' effects; thus, the combined treatment compared favorably to therapy involving Velcade alone.

Tanespimycin, an antibiotic, binds to and disrupts Hsp90 (Heat Shock Protein 90). Hsp90 is a “chaperone” …