Current Trends In Leukemia, Lymphoma, And Myeloma – On February 28, 2009, Physicians’ Education Resources will be holding an educational program titled Current Trends in Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The focus of the program is to provide cancer care professionals with information on advances originally presented at hematology conferences in 2008. A major goal is to increase patient enrollment in clinical trials by raising awareness of new treatments under …

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) have paired up to fund a research initiative focusing on multiple myeloma cancer stem cells. Dr. William Matsui of Johns Hopkins University and Dr. Irving Weissman of Stanford University each received research grants worth $250,000.

After prominent cancer stem cell experts met at the 2008 MMRF Myeloma Cancer Stem Cell Research Roundtable, it was decided that myeloma cancer stem cells studies should be funded.

Some scientists believe …

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) has been chosen as the official charity of the first Rite Aid Cleveland 5K. The race will take place on May 16 and will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Cleveland Convention Center.

The Rite Aid Cleveland 5K is an addition to the Cleveland Marathon weekend of events.  The Cleveland Marathon and Half Marathon will be held on the following day, May 17.

The MMRF has also been chosen as a charity partner for …

Milestones In Myeloma Therapy: An Update From The American Society Of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting – This free teleconference will be held on February 3 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EST. The discussion, led by Robert Z. Orlowski, MD, PhD, will focus on new treatments and research presented at the ASH annual meeting. He will also discuss the role of clinical trials and drug therapies in advancing myeloma treatment and quality of life concerns. Questions are welcome throughout the …

Current Trends In Leukemia, Lymphoma, And Myeloma – Physicians’ Education Resources will be holding conferences at the New York Marriott Downtown and Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, MO on January 24, 2009. The focus of both education programs is to provide cancer care professionals with information on advances presented at hematology conferences in 2008. A major goal is to increase patient enrollment in clinical trials by raising awareness of new treatments under development. For further information, please …

Steroids such as dexamethasone and prednisone are frequently used to treat myeloma patients. They reduce swelling and inflammation and have been shown to kill myeloma cells. However, steroids can also cause many serious side effects.

Both dexamethasone and prednisone can be prescribed alone or in combination with novel anti-myeloma drugs, which include thalidomide (Thalomid), Revlimid (lenalidomide), and Velcade (bortezomib). Prednisone is also used to enhance the response rate of melphalan therapy in myeloma patients. …

An oral anticancer agent, CX-4945, is now undergoing a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with multiple myeloma, advanced solid tumors, or a disorder involving non-cancerous tumors called Castleman’s disease.

CX-4945 is first in its class of CK2 inhibitors.  CK2 is an enzyme that plays a role in the development of cancerous cells through many cellular processes such as cell cycle regulation, signaling events between cells, blood vessel formation, inflammation, and cellular proliferation.  Since CK2 is involved in many …