[Canuck Bob]

What is novel treatment?

by Canuck Bob on Fri Apr 29, 2011 5:16 pm

I'm a new member of this fine club. I introed myself on the intro section but heres a recap. Stage 1, low dose chemo starts on Tuesday, Usual blood problems but my numbers are still reasonable, a couple of small lesions on survey, otherwise a healthy strong 56 year old.

I must say thanks for me first valuable advice. I failed to write down my chemo meds, just remember, "cancer and chemo", from that appointment. I now have a dedicated notebook in my hip pocket with test history added last night and some notes from this forum. Thanks.

I keep running into the term novel treatment. Could i get a quick education please. I'm assuming there is a traditional treatment that is not novel, what would that be?

Bob and Barb Babcock
Calgary, AB
Canada

[Julie Shilane]

Re: What is novel treatment?

by Julie Shilane on Fri Apr 29, 2011 6:30 pm

Hi Bob,

Novel treatment (novel therapy, novel agents, etc) refer to thalidomide (Thalomid), Revlimid (lenalidomide), and Velcade (bortezomib). These are the currently approved novel agents anyway. Carfilzomib and pomalidomide, which are close to being approved but still in clinical development, will also be among the novel agents, and there are others under development too.

They are called novel agents because they target the myeloma - as compared to traditional chemotherapy that kills a wide variety of cells, including those that are good and that you don't want to kill.

Traditional chemotherapy includes melphalan, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, etc.