While such drugs as thalidomide (Thalomid), Revlimid (lenalidomide), and Velcade (bortezomib) have been approved to treat multiple myeloma, the disease remains incurable. New studies are targeting different mechanisms of multiple myeloma in order to create better therapies. A recent paper published in "Lancet Oncology" examines drugs that target different biological mechanisms in multiple myeloma. This article will be the first of three articles discussing these new drugs for myeloma.

Multiple myeloma, like other cancers, is caused by a harmful proliferation of cells that can spread throughout …

Researchers, in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found an increased risk of veinous thromboembolism, or blood clotting, linked to treatment with Avastin (bevacizumab). A venous thrombosis is a blood clot that forms in the vein, a complication that affects many cancer patients. Concerns have arisen about whether or not Avastin contributes to the development of venous thromboembolism.

Avastin is a newly developed antibody commonly used in cancer treatments, including treatment of multiple myeloma. In a Phase 2 clinical trial for multiple myeloma, Avastin …