A combination regimen of Velcade (bortezomib), Doxil (pegylated liposomal doxorubicin), and dexamethasone (Decadron), known as the VDD regimen, is highly effective for initial treatment of multiple myeloma, according to a recent article published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Velcade, which is also approved for treatment as a single agent, suppresses tumor growth by inhibiting the enzymes that break down important proteins in cancerous cells. The second component of the VDD regimen, Doxil, blocks the process of …

A study recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology suggests that thalidomide (Thalomid), used in conjunction with double autologous stem cell transplants, leads to better outcome in younger patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

Autologous stem cell transplants use stem cells collected from the patient’s own bone marrow rather than from a donor. In a double transplant treatment, two transplants are given to the patient within a six-month period.

The study authors retrospectively analyzed the data of …

A recent study of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients found that Revlimid (lenalidomide) and low-dose dexamethasone (Decadron) resulted in better short-term overall survival and fewer severe side effects than Revlimid and high-dose dexamethasone.  Results were so convincing after one year that the trial was stopped early.

For years, Revlimid plus high-dose dexamethasone has been a standard treatment for multiple myeloma.

“The results of the study have already changed practice worldwide,” said Dr. S. Vincent Rajkumar of the Mayo …

Retreatment with Velcade (bortezomib) alone or in combination is an effective treatment for patients with relapsed multiple myeloma, according to a recent article published in the American Journal of Hematology.

Velcade, which was first approved in 2003, has previously been evaluated as a single-agent treatment in Phase 2 and 3 trials in patients with relapsed and/or refractory myeloma. It is currently the only single agent with a demonstrated survival benefit in patients with relapsed myeloma.

The prospective clinical trial …

In a recent phase 2 clinical trial published in the journal Leukemia and Lymphoma, ten out of 23 participants with recurring multiple myeloma or other plasma cell cancers reached partial or complete remission on a steroid-free treatment regimen of Velcade (bortezomib), Doxil (doxorubicin liposomal), and thalidomide (Thalomid). The scientists at the State University of New York who performed the trial were looking for a treatment for people who cannot tolerate steroids.

Steroid-based drugs such as dexamethasone …

The potential benefits of vesselplasty for the treatment of spinal fractures are highlighted in a recent study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.  Patients treated with vesselplasty, including some with multiple myeloma, experienced significant reductions in pain, immobility, and the use of painkillers.

Spinal fractures, also known as collapsed vertebrae or vertebral compression fractures, can develop in multiple myeloma patients who suffer from bone weakening.

Vesselplasty is a minimally invasive, image-guided surgical procedure that has emerged as an alternative to …

The International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) recommends that multiple myeloma patients should have their stem cells collected within four cycles of therapy with Revlimid (lenalidomide), thalidomide (Thalomid), or Velcade (bortezomib). Otherwise, these drugs may interfere with stem cell collection. The recommendations were published in the journal Blood in August.

During an autologous stem cell transplant, physicians collect a patient’s stem cells in the early stages of the patient's anti-myeloma drug regimen, and return these same cells to the individual after …