In the midst of the annual late May / early June medical conference season, with the many presentations of results from large-scale clin­i­cal trials, it is perhaps refreshing to learn that small-scale research has uncovered a pre­vi­ously unexplored poten­tial myeloma ther­apy.

In particular, physicians in New Zealand have found signs that roxi­thro­mycin, an antibiotic first used more than 30 years ago, may have anti-myeloma activity. The physicians shared their finding in a case report pub­lished last month.

In their report, …

Light chain mono­clonal gam­mop­athy of undetermined sig­nif­i­cance (MGUS) has a very low probability of progressing to symp­tomatic multiple myeloma, accord­ing to the results of a new study by researchers in Germany.

The German researchers found that, with a median follow-up time of 11.5 years, none of the 75 people in their study who had light chain MGUS saw their MGUS progress to symp­tomatic multiple myeloma, amyloidosis, or a related disease.

In fact, in more than half of the 31 cases …

The results of a small, single-arm study conducted at the Ohio State University indicate that adminis­tering Darzalex using a time-saving 90-minute in­fusion protocol can be safe.

No patients in the study ex­peri­enced severe in­fusion-related reac­tions, and there was only one mild reac­tion in a patient who had no further reac­tions during sub­se­quent in­fusions at the 90-minute rate.

The faster Darzalex (dara­tu­mu­mab) in­fusion rate tested in the study is two hours shorter than the standard 3.5 hour rate. Patients in …

When I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, the condition had progressed into the full-blown form of the disease. It was advanced myeloma (stage 3) that had to be treated immediately. As I've described in previous columns, I was in a bad way, with bone damage, lung damage, and biochemistry all over the place. Fortunately, I responded well to the treatment I received, and I am now in remission.

Once I returned to better health and became more knowledgeable about multiple …

No snide remarks, please, in regard to the question in this column’s title. It’s a bit rhetorical – I don’t ex­pec­t a response. Instead, the question is a play on words, as you’ll shortly see.

Regular readers of my column and my postings in the Beacon’s forum know that I make no secret of my belief in the value of exercise. Clearly, exercise produces all kinds of benefits. It strengthens the bones and muscles. It promotes …

A few months ago, I wrote a column about taking the cortico­steroid dexa­metha­sone (Decadron). I took dex most days for eight months after I was first diag­nosed with myeloma in 2006, and have been taking it, be­tween one and three times a month, for the past two years.

I figured that this ex­peri­ence would mean that I didn’t have any­thing new to learn about taking dex, but this turned out not to be the case. Instead, the feedback …

Since retiring from my job as a school superintendent nearly six months ago, I have made a concerted effort to not allow what time I have left in life to be pre­occupied with the fact that I have multiple myeloma. In other words, I try not be defined by the disease.

Little did I realize how difficult that would be.

Because my life would be less structured with much more free time during retirement, I was concerned that the challenges …