A wonderful Sunday to you, myeloma world.

We hope that, wherever you may be today, the sun is shining as brightly as it is here at Myeloma Morning Headquarters, and that the sky is as blue.

In today's Myeloma Morning, we'll be summarizing two new myeloma-related research studies. We also have “Quickly Noted” descriptions of two additional studies. Overall, there are five items in our daily list of new multiple myeloma research, which – as always – is included at the end of our report.

Both of the studies …

Results from a German retrospective study show that repeated whole-body mag­netic resonance imaging may identify smoldering myeloma patients with an increased risk of progressing to symptomatic multiple myeloma.

In their study, the German researchers looked at smoldering myeloma patients who had whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at the time of diagnosis and during regular follow-up visits.

The researchers found that patients whose follow-up scans showed pro­gres­sion of their disease had a 16.5-fold higher risk of progressing to symptomatic myeloma than patients who had stable disease based on their follow-up scans.

The …

One of the issues that a physician may consider when deciding how to treat a myeloma patient is the impact different treatment options may have on the pa­tient’s bones.

If a patient already has extensive bone damage resulting from multiple myelo­ma, a physician may lean more toward treatments that are believed to halt, or even counteract, the bone destruction the patient has been experiencing.

Previous research has shown that Velcade (bortezomib) may be able to help rebuild the bones of myeloma patients (see related Beacon news).

However, there is currently …

Findings from a recent retrospective study conducted at the Mayo Clinic in­di­cate that chromo­som­al abnormalities may influence which symptoms a multiple myeloma patient has at diagnosis.

For instance, the researchers found that newly diagnosed myeloma pa­tients with the chromo­some 14 translocation t(14;16) are more likely to have kidney damage, while patients with extra chromo­somes are more likely to have bone disease or anemia.

They also found that patients with t(14;16) who did not have kidney dam­age survived significantly longer (a median of 44 months) compared to those with kidney damage (9 months).  …

Now you know that multiple myeloma is a blood cancer, and I know that multiple myeloma is a blood cancer, but try telling that to my aching bones.

While I’m no stranger to myeloma’s common calling-cards of fatigue from anemia, the bruises and bleeding caused by having too few platelets, blood clots, and various infections such as pneumonia, it’s my skeletal system that seems to vie for center stage attention more often than not.

At my November 2008 stage III diagnosis, imaging tests revealed that I had more lesions on my bones …

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, …

This year’s Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) is cur­rent­ly being held in Stockholm. It started earlier this week and will run through Sunday, June 16.

A substantial amount of myeloma-related research will be presented during the EHA meeting during both oral presentations and poster pre­sen­ta­tions.

This article summarizes some of the important myeloma-related findings that are expected to be presented during poster sessions today and to­mor­row. A previous article covered the key findings that will be pre­sented during oral pre­sen­ta­tions.

The studies covered in this article are primarily ones …