The 45th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is set to kick off on May 29 in Orlando.

This year, nearly 30,000 clinical specialists are expected to attend the five day meeting to discuss the latest advances in oncology research, care, treatment, prevention, and survivorship. Over 4,000 presentations and posters are scheduled, with this year’s meeting highlighting personalized cancer care.

The ASCO meeting will include many presentations and seminars focused on multiple myeloma. Currently, 50 myeloma-based abstracts are listed. The Myeloma Beacon will be covering the meeting, and Beacon readers can expect several news articles related to key myeloma presentations.

The ASCO has also compiled specific itineraries for the different specialties represented at the meeting. Myeloma-related symposia and seminars can be found in the planner titled “Lymphoma and Plasma Cell Disorders,” found here (PDF). Some of these key seminars are summarized below.

On Saturday, May 30, a general poster session on plasma cell disorders will be held. Posters related to current myeloma research will highlight clinical trial results from new drugs such as Zolinza (vorinostat), milatuzumab, and Zarnestra (tipifarnib). In addition, there will also be a focus on prognostic factors, such as genetic abnormalities, in myeloma therapy.

On Sunday, May 31, some of the most awaited clinical trial results will be presented in the myeloma oral session. In addition, there will be discussions on new prognostic tools, the immunobiology of myeloma, and an update on current induction regimens.

Some key presentations include the Phase 3 clinical results comparing the drug combination Velcade (bortezomib), melphalan (Alkeran), prednisone, and thalidomide (Thalomid) (VMPT) to the combination of Velcade, melphalan, and prednisone (VMP) in newly diagnosed patients as well as interim results of the German DSMM Xla trial. This trial is currently examining Velcade, cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), and dexamethasone (Decadron) as an induction therapy in newly diagnosed myeloma patients.

An educational session titled “Therapeutic Options for Multiple Myeloma: Transplant versus Non-transplant” will be given on Monday, June 1. Leading myeloma specialists will discuss non-transplant treatment regimens, autologous and allogeneic transplants, and personalized care plans.

In addition, there will also be two poster discussion sessions for plasma cell disorders on Monday. Myeloma-related posters will be presented, along with important discussions by leaders in the field. Many Phase 1 and 2 clinical results will be presented.

Those of key interest include Phase 2 studies of a Revlimid (lenalidomide), Velcade, and dexamethasone combination for relapsed or refractory myeloma as well as carfilzomib (also called PR-171) in relapsed patients. Phase 1 results from a trial examining panobinostat with Revlimid and dexamethasone will also be presented.

Also on Monday, Dr. Carol Ann Huff will lead the clinical science symposium titled “New Agents for Multiple Myeloma.” Discussions will focus on proteasome inhibitors like Velcade that stop the growth and survival of cancer cells. Also, Phase 1/2 clinical trial results for the Tanespimycin (geldanamycin)/Velcade combination and results for carfilzomib in relapsed and refractory patients will be presented.

Further information about the ASCO meeting, including registration forms, meeting abstracts, and symposia information, can be found at the ASCO Web site. For our similar coverage of the 2008 ASH meeting (American Society for Hematology) and the XII IMW (International Myeloma Workshop), please see the related articles here at the Beacon.