Results of a recent small German study show that stem cell transplanta­tion as salvage therapy is most effective in patients who had a long remission duration after a previous transplant.

Specifically, results of the study show that patients who relapsed 12 months or later after their last transplant had significantly longer progression-free and overall survival times after salvage transplantation than patients who relapsed within 12 months. 

According to the study authors, patients who relapse within 12 months of a previous …

Whether you agree or disagree that private insurance and Medicare should always pay for every necessary multiple myeloma-related medical procedure or treatment, it’s clear that they don’t always.

The key word here is “necessary.”  The insurance company or Medicare may not agree with what you and your doctor feel is necessary.

The example I used in last week’s column illustrates this perfectly. Although Revlimid (lenalidomide) is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as …

European myeloma experts recently developed guidelines for the appropriate management of side effects associated with novel agent therapy for older multiple myeloma patients. This article, Part 3 in a series, summarizes the guidelines for the management of Revlimid-related side effects. Part 1 describes the guidelines for the management of Velcade-related side effects, Part 2 summarizes the guidelines for thalidomide-related side effects, and Part 4 covers the European experts’ recommendations on novel agent use in specific patient populations.

Management …

The Myeloma Beacon is pleased to announce two significant steps forward in its ongoing efforts to serve multiple myeloma patients, caregivers, and others interested in multiple myeloma.

The first important step is today’s launch of The Beacon’s sponsorship program.

“Our sponsorship program will ensure that The Myeloma Beacon has the resources necessary to continue providing the quality up-to-date news, information, and online community our readers expect,” said Boris Simkovich, publisher of The Beacon.

The Myeloma Beacon first began publication almost …

A reader recently asked me to share how I have remained ‘positive’ in my fight with multiple myeloma. My story is, perhaps, not much different than yours.

When multiple myeloma so rudely interrupted things in my happy corner of the universe, it had a surprisingly ‘positive’ effect on my life.

Positive? Yeah, right! Now don’t get me wrong. I hate everything about cancer. I hate the chaos, the hardship, the abject fear that it can cause. I hate how cancer …

Multiple myeloma patients being treated with Velcade often experience peripheral neuropathy, which is nerve damage that causes pain, numb­ness, or tingling in the extremities.  Recent studies have identified two ways of reducing neuropathy and other side effects associated with Velcade, while maintaining similar efficacy: administering Velcade intravenously once weekly instead of twice weekly or administering Velcade subcutaneously instead of intravenously.

Velcade (bortezomib) is currently approved to be used intravenously for the treatment of multiple myeloma in the United States and …

Learning that you have multiple myeloma can be a shocking, life-changing experience.  It certainly was for me!

There are tests, painful procedures, lots of drugs, and the anxiety of whether your treatment is working.

Being diagnosed with multiple myeloma was tough enough without having to battle my insurance company to pay for the therapies my doctors recommended.

In some ways, I found dealing with my insurance company at the time was more stressful than living with my cancer.

At age …