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 …

The number of bone lesions detected by whole-body magnetic resonance imaging after stem cell transplantation may predict overall survival of multiple myeloma patients, according to the results of a recent German study.

In particular, patients without bone marrow lesions after stem cell transplantation had significantly better two-year overall survival rates (100 percent) than patients with more than 20 bone marrow lesions (57 percent).

“In our study, we found a negative prognostic effect of residual lesions after therapy,” said Dr. Jens Hillengass from the University of Heidelberg in Germany and lead author of …

According to a small Italian study, multiple myeloma patients being treated for spinal fractures face a slightly lower risk of cement leakage following kyphoplasty compared to vertebroplasty.

Additionally, the Italian researchers found that several factors, including thicker cement, prior treatment with bone marrow transplantation, and injecting no more than 2 mL of cement regardless of the number of vertebrae being treated, are associated with a lower leakage risk.

Based on these findings, the researchers consider both vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty safe treatment options for myeloma-related spinal lesions. However, they point out that the …

Results of a recent Greek study show that high levels of the protein sclerostin in the blood are associated with advanced disease and poor bone formation in multiple myeloma patients.

In addition, the results indicate that Velcade may be effective in reducing sclerostin levels in myeloma patients.

“Our study has shown that sclerostin is increased in myeloma patients, and together with the [laboratory] data presented at the last ASH meeting, suggests that sclerostin inhibits the function of [bone-building cells] in myeloma,” said Dr. Evangelos Terpos of the Alexandra General Hospital in Athens, …

Multiple myeloma is the most frequent cancer to involve the skeleton, with up to 80 percent of patients having bone disease. Although fewer patients appear to have bone involvement more recently, it is still a major source of both complications and death among patients with myeloma.

Bone disease is so severe in myeloma because the normal bone remodeling process is disrupted. In normal individuals, damaged bone is removed by bone-destroying cells, the osteoclasts, and then bone is replaced by bone-forming cells, the osteoblasts. In myeloma, the number and activity of the bone-destroying …

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 …

The results from a clinical trial, called the ZMAX trial, suggest that administering Zometa intravenously over a longer period does not increase the drug’s safety compared to shorter infusion times.

Dr. James Berenson, from Berenson Oncology and lead author of the study, stated in email correspondence with The Myeloma Beacon that he hopes these study results will reassure patients that a 15-minute infusion time is safe.  Ultimately, the study authors suggested that infusion duration should be based on individual patient considerations.

Zometa (zoledronic acid) is an intravenous bisphosphonate that reduces bone loss …