My daughter, who is eight years old, saw a commercial for a cancer hospital the other day. She’s seen these types of commercials before, but this time, something clicked in her brain.

“I don’t want to get cancer and die!” she exclaimed.

I reassured her that she was absolutely not going to get cancer and die because, well, that’s what you tell someone who is eight.

“And just because people have cancer does not always mean they’re going to die,” …

Researchers from the Moffitt Cancer Center recently published results from a Phase 2 clinical trial that investigated the combination of Revlimid plus Doxil and low-dose dexa­metha­sone as initial therapy for patients with newly diag­nosed multiple myeloma.

Although the results show an overall re­sponse rate of 77 per­cent, a medi­an progression-free survival time of 28 months, and a one-year overall survival rate of 98 per­cent for the Revlimid (lenalidomide), Doxil (doxo­ru­bi­cin liposomal), and dexa­metha­sone (Decadron) …

Results from a recent Phase 2 trial indicate that the com­bi­na­tion of Kyprolis, Revlimid, and dexa­meth­a­sone is effective in re­lapsed multi­ple myeloma patients.

Specifically, the results show that 77 per­cent of patients responded to the treat­ment. The investigators point out the responses seen in the trial were rapid (median time to response was one month) and robust (medi­an duration of response was 22 months).

According to the investigators, the results are particularly encouraging because one-quarter of the patients were refractory …

In one of my first few columns, I discussed how I liked my old normal and was adamantly opposed to accepting a new normal now that I had cancer.

It's been well over two years since then, and I've had time to reconsider that position, and whether it might be in my best interest to establish a new normal.

Specifically, as the euphoria of reaching a complete response and getting off treatment has worn off over the past several …

Final results from a Phase 3 study show that Pomalyst in combination with low-dose dexamethasone is effective for relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma patients not responding to treatment with Revlimid and Velcade.

Specifically, the results show that patients receiving Pomalyst (pomalidomide, Imnovid) in combination with low-dose dexamethasone (Decadron) had higher response rates and longer progression-free and overall survival than patients who received high-dose dexamethasone alone.

High-dose dexamethasone was chosen as the comparator in this study because, …

I once read an article in which the author described her habit of working herself into an illness requiring hospitalization about every two years. She did this routinely until a doctor finally pointed out to her that scheduling a vacation every so often would be a more cost-effective, healthier practice. The author, who had been eschewing vacations as a waste of time, became a convert.

I read that article decades ago. I read it back in the pre-computer, pre-cell …

Final results from a recent Phase 2 clinical trial continue to indicate that panobinostat in combination with Velcade and dexamethasone is effective for heavily pretreated multiple myeloma.

In the study, known as “PANORAMA 2,” patients who had previously relapsed and were no longer responsive to Velcade (bortezomib)-based treatment received panobinostat in combination with Velcade and dexamethasone (Decadron).

The results show that one-third (35 percent) of the patients responded to the treatment, and the median progression-free survival was 5.4 …