A Phase 2 trial of Hycamtin, cyclophosphamide, and melphalan showed that the drug combination is a safe and effective treatment regimen for patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma or patients in first remission. The combination, followed by stem cell transplantation, resulted in an overall response rate of 85 percent and a four-year overall survival rate of 66 percent, making this drug combination comparable in efficacy to treatment with melphalan alone.

High-dose melphalan (Alkeran) is the standard conditioning treatment …

Last week, I promised to share a few tips that some of my multiple myeloma friends use to stay positive.

Staying positive does not cure cancer—and it probably doesn’t help extend a patient’s life. Surprised? Don’t be. There are a number of studies which prove this to be the case, including a large, 1,000 patient study, published in 2007 in the American Cancer Society’s journal Cancer.

A reader once commented on one of my blogs, “Pushing the idea that …

The International Myeloma Working Group, a group of top myeloma doctors, recently published a report identifying risk factors for disease progression in patients with the multiple myeloma precursor diseases, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and smoldering myeloma. In addition, the myeloma experts established guidelines for the monitoring and management of these two conditions.  This article, Part 2 in a series, covers the results for smoldering myeloma. Part 1 covers the results for myeloma monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.

The …

Back in 2006, when I was initially diagnosed with myeloma, I learned of the interest among researchers in investigating maintenance therapies, particularly a Revlimid (lenalidomide)/dexamethasone (Decadron) combination.

This struck me at the time as an encouraging and exciting development, particularly for anyone who had paid attention to how a similar line of research and the introduction of protease inhibitors and combination therapies have changed the lives of many persons living with HIV/AIDS over the past 15 years. …

The International Myeloma Working Group, a group of top myeloma doctors, recently published a report identifying risk factors for disease progression in patients with the multiple myeloma precursor diseases, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and smoldering myeloma. In addition, the myeloma experts established guidelines for the monitoring and management of these two conditions.  This article, Part 1 in a series, covers the results for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Part 2 will cover the results for smoldering myeloma.

The …

A recent study showed that relapsed and therapy-resistant multiple myeloma patients with an abnormality on chromosome 1, called 1q21 gain, did not respond as well to single-agent Velcade treatment in comparison to patients who lack this chromosomal abnormality.

The study found that the median duration of response, progression-free survival, and overall survival were significantly lower among patients with the 1q21 gain abnormality.

Chromosomal abnormalities are the result of unbalanced changes to the structure of a chromosome, which may occur through …

Before I get started, a word of warning: This column isn’t going to be a collection of tips on “how to handle dexamethasone side-effects.” I would be glad to write about that sometime in the future.

No, this column is about how patients can and should philosophically deal with side-effects caused by their multiple myeloma therapy. Philosophically? “What does philosophy have to do with my peripheral neuropathy or inconvenient constipation?” you might ask.

Here’s the thing. I don’t want to …