Articles tagged with: Zometa
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The International Myeloma Working Group, a group of leading myeloma specialists, recently published its recommendations for the treatment of bone disease in multiple myeloma patients.
The researchers recommend that all myeloma patients receiving their first anti-myeloma therapy should also receive treatment with bisphosphonates, regardless of whether the patient shows evidence of bone disease on x-rays. They also note that a minimally invasive procedure known as kyphoplasty, as well as low-dose radiation therapy, may be used to reduce severe pain or bone fractures.
In addition, they explain that most bisphosphonates are well tolerated, …
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Results from a recently completed Phase 3 trial suggest that thalidomide may delay disease progression in patients with smoldering myeloma.
Specifically, patients in the trial who received thalidomide in combination with Zometa had a noticeably longer time to disease progression than patients who received Zometa alone.
Over a third of the patients who received thalidomide and Zometa also showed a tumor response, whereas none of the patients treated with Zometa alone had such a response.
However, more patients who received the thalidomide- Zometa combination experienced peripheral neuropathy (pain, tingling, or loss of …
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Additional results from a Phase 3 study show that Xgeva may be more effective than Zometa in treating bone disease in multiple myeloma patients. Specifically, Xgeva was better than Zometa in reducing bone fractures, limiting the need for bone radiation treatment, and preventing the worsening of pain in cancer patients with bone disease.
Despite these findings, physicians are likely to remain cautious about treating myeloma patients with Xgeva, as there are concerns about the drug's safety when used in myeloma patients.
Bone disease is a common complication of multiple myeloma. Bone-destroying cells …
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Today was the third day of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, and the morning was filled with oral presentations about important myeloma-related studies. Most of the talks were about potential new anti-myeloma drugs.
This update summarizes the presentations about panobinostat (Farydak), obatoclax, Treanda (bendamustine), and MLN9708 (ixazomib), which are all being developed as potential multiple myeloma treatments. In addition, the update includes a recap of a presentation about the safety of long-term bisphosphonate use.
An
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Delanzomib Shows High Activity Against Myeloma In Preclinical Studies – Results of pre-clinical studies indicate that delanzomib (CEP-18770) is highly active against myeloma cells. Specifically, the researchers found that delanzomib is comparable in activity to Velcade (bortezomib). Delanzomib, like Velcade, is a boronic acid-based proteasome inhibitor that suppresses cancer cell growth by inhibiting the enzymes that break down important proteins in cancer cells. The researchers also found that delanzomib inhibited tumor enzyme activity significantly more than Velcade (60 percent versus 32 percent). In laboratory studies, delanzomib also killed cancer cells that developed resistance to Velcade. According to the study investigators, these results provide rationale for clinical studies investigating the effects of delanzomib. For more information, please see the study in Molecular Pharmaceutics (abstract).
Longer-Term Zometa Use Reduces Rate Of Skeletal Complications In Multiple Myeloma Patients – Results of a recent study show that longer-term use of Zometa (zoledronic acid), an intravenous bisphosphonate, reduces the rate of skeletal complications in multiple myeloma patients with bone disease. In their study, researchers retrospectively assessed the rate of skeletal complications in 1,655 myeloma patients over time. Sixty-four percent of patients received Zometa, while the remaining 36 percent did not receive any form of bisphosphonate therapy. The researchers found that patients who received Zometa for longer periods of time (more than 1.5 years) had a lower risk of developing skeletal complications, including fractures, compared to patients who received Zometa for shorter periods of time. Patients who received Zometa also experienced lower death rates than patients who did not receive bisphosphonate therapy. For more information, please see the study in the American Journal of Hematology (abstract).
TRAF6 May Be A New Therapeutic Target For Multiple Myeloma – Results of a recent pre-clinical study indicate that inhibition of TRAF6 decreases the spread of myeloma cells and increases the rate of self-induced cancer cell death. TRAF6 is a protein involved in cell signaling pathways and plays an important role in promoting the growth, survival, and drug resistance of myeloma cells. According to the study investigators, these results showed that TRAF6 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of multiple myeloma. For more information, please see the study in Clinical Lymphoma Myeloma And Leukemia (abstract).
MMRF Chicago Awards Dinner – The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) will hold the Chicago Awards Dinner on April 10 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago. The reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. During the event, Pat Williams, Senior Vice President of the Orlando Magic, will receive the MMRF’s Spirit of Hope Award. Proceeds from the event will go toward the MMRF’s research efforts. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit the MMRF website.
For a more detailed listing of myeloma-related events, please check the Myeloma Beacon Events Calendar.
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Results of a small Turkish study indicate that laser surgery may be a viable treatment option for cancer patients who experience bisphosphonate-related bone death in their jaws.
Specifically, the study authors found that patients who received laser surgery achieved higher rates of complete healing than patients who received conventional surgery. While the results are suggestive, the study was small and the difference in the rates was not considered significant.
According to Dr. Belir Atalay of Istanbul University in Turkey and lead author of the study, laser surgery may be a better treatment …
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This past Sunday was the third day of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2011 annual meeting, and it was a particularly busy day for meeting attendees interested in multiple myeloma.
The Beacon published an update yesterday covering two sets of presentations made at Sunday’s oral session about multiple myeloma. This article covers the other set of presentations, which was about myeloma bone disease, as well as material from an afternoon education session focused on myeloma.
Myeloma Bone Disease
The …
