In a recent multi-center study, Spanish researchers identified several immune system characteristics of multiple myeloma patients who have achieved long-term disease control.

They found that patients who achieve long-term disease control have a distinct immune system profile that differs from patients with active disease and from that of healthy adults.

This distinct profile, the researchers argue, likely plays a role in the patients achieving long-term control of their myeloma, and thus deserves further investigation.

The majority of multiple myeloma patients …

The results of a recent Greek study indicate that kidney impairment is highly reversible in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients treated with regimens containing Velcade, thalidomide, and Revlimid.

Additionally, the Greek researchers found that Velcade (bortezomib)-based treatments were associated with a shorter time to response  and higher rates of restoration of kidney function than thalidomide (Thalomid)- and Revlimid (lenalidomide)-based regimens.

Based on their findings, the researchers recommend that Velcade be used as initial therapy for myeloma patients …

A recent study demonstrates that better treatments are still needed for multiple myeloma patients who develop extramedullary disease.  Specifically, the results show that these patients have poorer progression-free survival and overall survival compared to patients without extramedullary disease.

The results also show that extramedullary disease is more common in patients with high-risk multiple myeloma.

Extramedullary disease occurs when multiple myeloma cells develop in the soft tissues and organs outside of the bone marrow. It can occur in newly diagnosed myeloma, …

Biotest AG Starts Clinical Trial Of BT-062 Combination Therapy – The German pharma­ceu­tical com­pany Biotest AG has begun a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of BT-062 in com­bi­na­tion with Revlimid (lena­lido­mide) and dexamethasone (Decadron) in patients with re­lapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma. BT-062 consists of a chemotherapeutic drug com­bined with an anti­body that helps deliver the drug to myeloma and other cancer cells. BT-062 alone has dem­onstrated anti-myeloma activity and good tolerability in re­lapsed and refractory myeloma …

The results of a recent Phase 3 study conducted throughout Europe show that treatment with a combination of Velcade, thalidomide, and dexamethasone leads to superior clinical benefits compared to treatment with thalidomide and dexamethasone alone in multiple myeloma patients who have relapsed or progressed after a stem cell transplant.

Specifically, more patients responded to the three-drug regimen.  In addition, the group of patients treated with the three-drug combination responded longer and did not progress as quickly as those treated with …

During the second day of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago last month, Dr. Amrita Krishnan from the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, gave a presentation on the current status of stem cell transplantation in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Dr. Krishnan started her presentation by saying that in the United States, multiple myeloma patients make up the largest group of cancer patients undergoing stem cell transplantation.

An autologous (own) stem …

In a recent study, an international research team reported several new genetic mutations that may be involved in multiple myeloma. Additionally, the researchers identified genetic changes associated with disease progression.

Dr. Niccolo Bolli from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom presented the findings last month at the 17th Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA).

In multiple myeloma, as with all cancers, cells develop genetic abnormalities known as “mutations.” These mutations can lead to uncontrolled growth and survival …