The combination therapy of cyclophosphamide, thalidomide (Thalomid) and dexamethasone (Decadron), commonly referred to as CTD, is effective and well tolerated in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients, according to a new study published in the journal Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia. Patients who underwent autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) after CTD therapy had higher success rates and longer survival.

Currently, thalidomide plus dexamethasone is one of the standard treatments for newly diagnosed myeloma patients. However, this treatment is …

A combination therapy of weekly Velcade (bortezomib), Doxil (pegylated liposomal doxorubicin), and dexamethasone (Decadron) led to a high response rate and moderate side effects in elderly patients with relapsed or refractory myeloma, according to a study published in the journal Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia.

Previous studies have shown a complementary, additive relationship between Velcade and other drugs, such as Doxil and dexamethasone. However, a three-fold combination has never been evaluated in patients over the age of …

The presence and number of bone marrow lesions detected by whole body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to determine the likelihood of progression from smoldering (asymptomatic) multiple myeloma to active (symptomatic) myeloma, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Patients with more than one bone marrow lesion progressed sooner than those with one or zero.

Currently, MRI, a technique commonly used to visualize internal structure of the body, is one of …

A diagnostic measure called plasma cell labeling index (PCLI) can help predict the likelihood that someone with smoldering multiple myeloma will eventually get multiple myeloma, wrote researchers in a letter to the editor published in this month’s Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

People with smoldering multiple myeloma have abnormal levels of certain cells and proteins in their blood, but don’t feel the symptoms of multiple myeloma. They are at risk for getting the cancer later.

The amount of plasma cells in a …

The findings of a recent study indicate that the combination regimen of Revlimid (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone (Decadron) is effective and safe in multiple myeloma patients with reduced kidney function and may even improve kidney function in some patients when the Revlimid dosage is adjusted according to kidney function. The study was published in the European Journal of Haematology.

Because of its effectiveness, the combination of Revlimid and dexamethasone (RD) has become a standard treatment option for patients …

Exposure to prior myeloma therapies, specifically thalidomide (Thalomid) and autologous stem cell transplants (ASCT), does not influence the superior efficacy of Velcade (bortezomib) compared to dexamethasone (Decadron) in patients with relapsed/refractory myeloma, according to an analysis published in the British Journal of Haematology.

Researchers had previously found that Velcade resulted in a better response rate, time to progression, and overall survival compared to dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory myeloma patients. Based on these results, Velcade has become one of the …

The survival time of a multiple myeloma patient is strongly dependent on the patient’s age at diagnosis, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The study, which evaluated the impact of age on disease outcome, compared the survival time (from diagnosis) between patients in different age groups and treatment regimens. Researchers also compared the life spans for patients with myeloma versus patients without myeloma.

Following diagnosis with multiple myeloma, the average survival time varies based …