The results of a recent retrospective analysis show that whole-body CT scans are superior to x-rays in the detection of bone lesions in multiple myeloma patients.

Dr. Kelechi Princewill from the University of Maryland in Baltimore presented these findings at the American Roentgen Ray Society annual meeting  in Vancouver, Canada, earlier this month.

“Low-dose, whole-body CT was significantly better than [x-rays] in detecting lesions in the spine, ribs, sternum, and flat bones,” said Dr. Princewill.

Bone destruction is a common …

As you may remember from my previous column, I was admitted to the hospital for my stem cell transplant at the beginning of March (on March 5 to be exact).

I had no initial devastating reaction to the melphalan (Alkeran) that I received on the day of admission or the infusion of my stem cells over the following two days.

While my first 10 to 11 days were certainly not pleasant, they weren’t “off the charts” bad either. …

During the upcoming annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), results will be presented from clin­i­cal trials involving poten­tial new drugs under devel­op­ment for the treat­ment of multiple myeloma.

In particular, results for newer, lesser known agents that are in the early stages of clin­i­cal devel­op­ment will take center stage. These agents in­clude obatoclax, siltuximab, daratumumab, and SNS01-T.

According to the recently released ASCO abstracts, the agents showed varying degrees of activity in …

More and more reports have been in the news about the rising number of people living alone in America and other Western countries.

According to Eric Klinenberg’s research in his book, “Going Solo,” 28 percent of all American households and one in ten people over age 65 live alone, more than ever before in history.

While the circumstances leading to this lifestyle vary, the impact is significant for those diagnosed with multiple myeloma, as well as their circle of family …

Results from a recent French study identified several factors that predict long-term survival of patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma. These prognostic factors include the absence of three key chromosomal abnormalities, low beta-2 microglobulin levels in the blood, and younger age.

The three key chromosomal abnormalities that were absent in patients who survived longer were a gain in chromosome 1 (called 1q gain), a translocation from chromosome 4 to 14 (called t(4;14)), and a deletion in chromosome 17 (called del(17p)). …

The results of a recent analysis suggest that the dosage of re-infused lymphocytes during an autologous stem cell transplant does not affect relapse or survival rates in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients.

“These findings would seem to indicate that, in the context of upfront autologous stem cell transplantation, the proportion of the lymphocytes re-infused is not associated with outcome. In the salvage setting, further analysis needs to be done,” said Dr. Laura Percy of University College London and lead investigator …

I thought I’d tell a little story related to an aspergillus fungal infection that beset me before my first stem cell transplant.

What I’m going to recount here has less to do with the fungal infection than it is a cautionary tale.

In a dark way, this story can be somewhat amusing, but the absurdity only gets humorous in the retelling, not in the actual experience.

The aspergillus came along with something called bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia, or BOOP.  …