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[Jun 7, 2011 11:55 am | Comments Off]
Lorvotuzumab Mertansine Combination Shows Activity In Myeloma (ASCO 2011)

Results of an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial indicate that the anti-cancer drug lorvotuzumab mertansine in combination with Revlimid-dexamethasone is active in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients.

“There is encouraging activity observed at all dose levels,” said Dr. Jesus Berdeja from the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville, Tennessee, who presented these findings at the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) on Sunday.

In a summary talk about potential new myeloma treatments, Dr. Nikhil Munshi from …

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[Jun 6, 2011 3:49 pm | 3 Comments]
Myeloma Experts Present Additional Data On Revlimid And Secondary Cancers (ASCO 2011)

Three myeloma experts yesterday presented additional clinical trial data on the possible link between Revlimid and secondary cancer in multiple myeloma patients.  All three experts concluded that Revlimid’s benefit as a myeloma treatment outweighs its risks.

The presentations were made at a session of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago.

In a summary talk reviewing the three presentations, Dr. Ola Landgren from the U.S. National Cancer Institute noted that the risk of developing a secondary …

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[Jun 6, 2011 9:02 am | 2 Comments]
ASCO 2011 Multiple Myeloma Update - Day Three, Part One

Yesterday was the third day of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2011 annual meeting in Chicago, and it was especially packed with pre­sen­ta­tions re­lated to mul­ti­ple myeloma.

There was a morn­ing session where a total of eight re­search abstracts were pre­sented and discussed.  Then, late in the afternoon, there was an education session focused on mul­ti­ple myeloma, with sev­er­al dif­fer­en­t pre­sen­ta­tions.

The pre­sen­ta­tions during the morn­ing session were on three dif­fer­en­t topics: Revlimid (lena­lido­mide) and its po­ten­tial link to …

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[Jun 4, 2011 4:09 pm | 2 Comments]
ASCO 2011 Multiple Myeloma Update - Days One And Two

This year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, which began on Friday and goes through Tuesday, is being held in Chicago.

On the first day of the meeting, there was only one talk related to multiple myeloma.  During an afternoon education session, in which current practice and recent research results are reviewed, Dr. Raphael Fonseca from the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, spoke about high-risk multiple myeloma.

The second day of the meeting included a morning and an …

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[Jun 3, 2011 10:50 am | 7 Comments]
Study Suggests Longer Infusion Time Does Not Improve Safety Of Zometa For Myeloma Patients

The results from a clinical trial, called the ZMAX trial, suggest that administering Zometa intravenously over a longer period does not increase the drug’s safety compared to shorter infusion times.

Dr. James Berenson, from Berenson Oncology and lead author of the study, stated in email correspondence with The Myeloma Beacon that he hopes these study results will reassure patients that a 15-minute infusion time is safe.  Ultimately, the study authors suggested that infusion duration should be based on individual patient …

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[Jun 2, 2011 10:22 am | 12 Comments]
Pat’s Place: Reflections On An Unfortunate Summer Holiday Tradition

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day holiday weekend!

I was fortunate to be able to spend some rare, quality time with my wife and caregiver, Pattie.

We shopped a bit, saw a movie, and shared a relaxed meal at a restaurant near our home.

While we dined, Pattie and I began to discuss my upcoming stem cell transplant, which was recently re-scheduled to begin around July first.

It was then Pattie reminded me about an unfortunate summer holiday …

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[Jun 1, 2011 4:39 pm | Comments Off]
Experts Draft Guidelines For The Prevention Of Blood Clots In Multiple Myeloma Patients (IMW 2011)

The International Myeloma Working Group, a group of leading myeloma specialists, recently drafted guidelines for the prevention of blood clots in the veins in multiple myeloma patients. The group recommended the use of heparin or warfarin for patients with a high risk for developing blood clots and aspirin for standard-risk patients.

Dr. Antonio Palumbo of the University of Torino in Italy presented the draft guidelines at the International Myeloma Workshop (IMW) on May 6 in Paris. In email correspondence with …