Articles tagged with: Bendamustine
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How has your week been, myeloma world?
Summer definitely is here at Myeloma Morning Headquarters. We had temperatures yesterday and today that rival those normally seen in early August.
We're not exactly sure how we feel about this development.
As for myeloma-related news, we have a lot of ground to cover.
We have one new myeloma research study that we summarize at length. It's about a difficult subject, namely, the impact of early relapse on the overall survival of multiple myeloma patients. It's a difficult subject because, not surprisingly, early relapse continues …
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A happy Saturday to you, myeloma world.
We have some good news to report today. It also is important news related to Darzalex (daratumumab).
Some additional clinical trial results related to Darzalex were made public earlier this week, but they have not received much attention.
The new results show that adding Darzalex to Velcade (bortezomib) and dexamethasone substantially – some might even say dramatically – extends progression-free survival in relapsed multiple myeloma patients.
The new results expand on news announced at the end of March, which we covered in …
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A happy Tuesday to you, myeloma world.
We have some interesting research to share with you.
First, we have results of a Phase 2 study investigating Empliciti (elotuzumab) in combination with Velcade (bortezomib) and dexamethasone (Decadron) in relapsed and refractory myeloma patients. The results show that Empliciti plus Velcade and dexamethasone improves progression-free survival compared to Velcade and dexamethasone alone, without adding any significant side effects.
We also report on a study out of Italy that explores using Treanda (bendamustine) in addition to melphalan (Alkeran) as the high-dose chemotherapy …
Opinion»

Before I get started, I want to share good news about my ongoing myeloma therapy.
If you recall, after a recent relapse, my doctors and I had decided to try adding Revlimid (lenalidomide) to my doublet of Velcade (bortezomib) and dexamethasone (Decadron) one last time, hoping it might still work. Although it has only been two months, the combination does seem to be helping; my M-spike has dropped from 0.5 g/dL down to 0.4 g/dL, or 20 percent.
But enough about me!
I recently heard from …
News»

This Monday was the third day of the 2013 American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, which was held in New Orleans.
More than any other day of the conference, Monday was packed with important myeloma presentations, from 7:00 in the morning until almost 8:00 in the evening.
This ASH update will summarize the oral presentation sessions about treatment-related myeloma studies that were held Monday morning. An ASH update that was published on Wednesday focused on the sessions that were held Monday afternoon and evening.
Monday morning started with three simultaneous …
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Results from a recent retrospective analysis conducted in Germany indicate that the combination of Velcade plus Treanda and prednisone is effective for relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma patients with kidney impairment.
Specifically, 67 percent of patients responded to the treatment, and kidney function improved in 86 percent of patients. The study investigators point out that the responses were rapid, with a median time to response of three weeks. With a median progression-free survival of 10 months, some patients experienced a long-term treatment-free interval.
Most of the severe side effects of the combination …
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Entinostat And Treanda Enhance Each Other’s Efficacy Against Myeloma Cells – Results from a recent preclinical study show that Treanda (bendamustine) and the investigational drug entinostat (SNDX-275) enhance each other’s efficacy against multiple myeloma cells. The two drugs, when given together, were more effective than expected based on the efficacy of either drug alone. Entinostat is an oral treatment that belongs to a family of anti-cancer drugs called HDAC inhibitors. Other HDAC inhibitors under investigation for multiple myeloma include Zolinza (vorinostat) and panobinostat. Entinostat is currently being studied in clinical trials for patients with leukemia and breast cancer. A Phase 1 study of Entinostat in myeloma patients and other blood cancer patients was recently completed, but the results have not been published yet. Treanda is approved in the United States as a treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and certain lymphomas, and it is being investigated as a treatment for myeloma. It belongs to a class of drugs known as alkylating agents, which also includes melphalan (Alkeran) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). These drugs damage the DNA of cancer cells, triggering their death. For more information, please refer to the study in Cancer Letters (abstract).
Low Levels Of Adiponectin May Be Associated With A Higher Risk Of Developing Myeloma – Findings from a prospective study show that low levels of the protein adiponectin may be associated with a higher risk of developing multiple myeloma. Adiponectin regulates glucose levels in the blood and is found at lower levels in people who have type-2 diabetes or who are obese. The investigators of the current study compared the levels of different proteins known as adipokines in 174 myeloma patients and 348 healthy individuals. They found that myeloma patients had lower levels of adiponectin than healthy individuals. Based on their findings, the researchers recommend further study of adiponectin as a possible therapeutic target for myeloma. For more information, please see the study in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention (abstract).
Etoposide, Thiotepa, and Melphalan May Be More Effective Than Melphalan Alone – Results from a recent Israeli study show that treatment with etoposide (VP-16), thiotepa, and melphalan may be more effective than melphalan alone prior to stem cell transplantation. In particular, patients who received the three-drug combination had a longer time to progression (44 months versus 17 months) and longer overall survival (not yet reached after a median of 108 months follow-up versus 59 months) than those who received melphalan alone. However, the researchers said that based on the small number of patients included in the study, the three-drug combination appeared to be slightly more toxic than melphalan alone. The investigators still believe that the three-drug combination can be effective in certain myeloma patients receiving a stem cell transplant. Etoposide is a chemotherapy drug used as a treatment for lung and testicular cancer. Previous studies have shown that etoposide is highly effective in mobilizing stem cells. Thiotepa, like melphalan, is an alkylating agent that damages the DNA of cancer cells. For more information, please refer to the study in the journal Leukemia and Lymphoma (abstract).