After bruising her shoulder from a fall in the spring of 2009, Ayse Sule Sevin, a native of Turkey, noticed that the bruise was not going away. She visited a doctor in hopes of finding out what was wrong, but the doctor was unable to determine the problem. A few months later, Sevin began experiencing chest pain and bleeding gums. Although her doctor prescribed medications to treat these symptoms, her problems continued to worsen. Finally, in October 2009, doctors diagnosed …

A small study in Japan showed that relapsed multiple myeloma patients treated simultaneously with Velcade and itraconazole experienced greater Velcade-induced side effects, such as lower platelet levels and nerve damage to the extremities, than patients who did not receive itraconazole. 

The researchers recommended that multiple myeloma patients receiving both Velcade (bortezomib) and itraconazole (Sporanox) be closely monitored for Velcade-induced side effects throughout the duration of their treatment. 

However, according to Dr. Paul Richardson of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in …

ArthroCare Corp. has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its Parallax Contour Vertebral Augmentation Device. The Contour device can now be used during minimally invasive surgical procedures to treat spinal fractures caused by multiple myeloma bone lesions.

Weakening of the vertebrae, the bones that make up the spine, can result in vertebral compression fractures. Though the most common cause of vertebral compression fractures is osteoporosis, they may also be caused by multiple myeloma tumors.

Patients …

Onyx Pharmaceuticals announced today that it is delaying for at least six months its application to market carfilzomib, a new treat­ment for multiple myeloma, in the United States.

Prior to today’s announcement, Onyx had expected to submit car­filz­o­mib’s new drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by the end of this year.

Now the com­pany says its application will be submitted “as early as mid-year 2011.”

In its announcement today, Onyx explained that the …

I like to look over other reader's comments after I read an article here at The Myeloma Beacon.

That's exactly what I did on Tuesday after reading Sean Murray’s column, Sean's Burgundy Thread: Staying Connected To Yourself While Living With Myeloma. If you haven't read Sean's columns yet, you should—it is a really fun read.

Sean and I both tend to be very proactive and positive when dealing with our cancer.

Anyway, I have noticed lots of similar comments …

This article is the third in a three-part series about caring for a loved one with multiple myeloma. The first article provides an introduction to caring for a cancer patient as well as resources for caregivers. The second article provides practical tips for caregivers, and the third article explains the tolls of being a caregiver.

When Nan Manzo’s husband Dom was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2008, their family doctor shared some advice about how to deal with the ups …

In last month’s Myeloma Beacon article, I shared how important it has been during my two year fight against multiple myeloma to stay firmly ‘connected’ to my at-large health care team consisting of family, friends, caregivers, physicians, and other medical professionals all acting in concert on my behalf.

The herculean efforts of so many people and organizations to help myeloma patients like me survive this rare cancer have been both humbling and gratifying. Though the campaign moves on slowly, …