Results of a recent study suggest that a single dose of Velcade given after high-dose melphalan results in better outcomes in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients after stem cell transplantation than a single dose of Velcade given before high-dose melphalan.  Side effects of the regimen with Velcade were similar to those seen with melphalan alone.

Treatment with high-dose chemotherapy followed by stem cell transplantion is a standard therapeutic approach for younger, newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients.  High-dose chemotherapy prior to …

One of the universal bits of advice you’re going to get as a patient with multiple myeloma is that you need a good relationship with your doctor.

In a recent article, patient Kay Cromie of Burlington, Vermont, stressed to Myeloma Beacon writer Saniya Tabani the importance of developing a rapport with your doctor, so you can feel comfortable communicating your concerns, asking questions, and discussing treatment options with your doctor.

When I spoke a few weeks ago with Dr. …

The combination of Velcade with Revlimid-dexamethasone treatment may help overcome the poor prognostic factors with certain chromosomal abnormalities more so than Revlimid-dexamethasone alone.

However, both treatment combinations were associated with an inferior response in patients with a deletion in chromosome 17. Additionally, prior resistance to thalidomide, increases in certain enzyme levels, and the presence of tumor cells outside of the bone marrow were also associated with poor outcomes in response to Revlimid-dexamethasone with or without Velcade.

In this recently published …

In 2003, Kathy Wilson, a former high school French teacher, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma at the age of 55. Six months later, she was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a rare disease that can occur in some multiple myeloma patients.

“Back in 2003, very few doctors knew what amyloidosis was, had ever seen it, or treated it. I dare say that a lot of doctors had never even seen the word or read anything about it,” stated Wilson.

Amyloidosis is a …

Multiple myeloma patients experience a wide range of emotions: panic, fear, apprehension, anger, and frustration, to name a few. Undergoing medical testing and cancer therapies can be uncomfortable or downright painful.

But often, the hardest part is all of the waiting. Spending long hours in the waiting room. Spending days or weeks afterwards anxiously waiting for test results. Then waiting to meet with your doctor to decide what to do.

And there is another type of waiting all well-informed multiple …

During the course of their disease, multiple myeloma patients may develop a condition called amyloidosis.  Amyloidosis is a disease in which proteins accumulate in organs such as the heart or kidneys, leading to organ damage and complications associated with some multiple myeloma treatments.

The following article describes amyloidosis as it relates to multiple myeloma and includes some of the current treatment recommendations for patients with this dual diagnosis.

What Is Amyloidosis?

Amyloidosis occurs when proteins accumulate …

The 10-year follow-up results of a Phase 2 trial suggest that thalidomide increases the median time to disease progression in smoldering multiple myeloma patients who respond to treatment.

However, researchers also observed an increased rate of side effects compared to earlier results. They therefore do not recommend the use of thalidomide in smoldering myeloma patients.

Approximately 10 to 15 percent of all myeloma patients have smoldering myeloma, a slow-growing form of the disease that often appears without symptoms. Approximately 73 …