Results from a Polish study suggest that a gain in chromosome 1, called 1q21 gain, must be accompanied by other chromosomal abnormalities to negatively affect prognosis in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients on thalidomide therapy.

Based on their findings, the Polish researchers conclude that thalidomide (Thalomid)-based regimens may not help overcome the negative impact of the 1q21 gain on patient survival when multiple chromosomal abnormalities are present.

“The key message [from our study] is that accumulation of adverse genetic abnormalities significantly affects the survival of multiple myeloma patients,” said Dr. Norbert Grzasko, …

One of the most difficult questions in oncology is: “How long do I have to live?”

Patients often bring this up to their physicians following a diagnosis of cancer, and periodically during the course of their disease.

Of course, this is an impossible question to answer because we as physicians can seldom predict what the future holds for a particular patient. We can prob­a­bly estimate averages, but no patient is average; everyone is unique. Faced with this dilemma, each physician responds differently. Some provide the averages, some don’t.

Nevertheless, it is incredibly …

Results from a recent German analysis suggest that Velcade-based treatment both before and after stem cell transplantation leads to better survival outcomes than treatment without Velcade in multiple myeloma patients with a deletion in chromosome 17.

The German analysis used data from a Phase 3 clinical trial in which some patients with chromosomal abnormalities were treated with Velcade (bortezo­mib)-based therapy, while others were not.

For all types of chromosomal abnormalities, survival was similar or better for patients in the trial who received Velcade-based therapy.

In particular, though, patients with a deletion …

Results of a recent study suggest that high-risk multiple myeloma patients who have chromosomal abnormalities known as trisomies have better survival outcomes than high-risk patients without them.

“Our findings allow us to further trim down the proportion of patients with truly high-risk disease, thus allowing us to concentrate on those patients and improve their outcome,” said Dr. Shaji Kumar of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and lead author of the study.

Based on their results, the researchers recommended a new and more specific method of classifying myeloma patients based on their …

On the fourth and final day of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2011 annual meeting, there was one session in the morning with a number of important myeloma-related presentations.

The key findings of those presentations are summarized in this article.

Treatment Of High-Risk Smoldering Myeloma

Dr. María-Victoria Mateos from the University Hospital in Salamanca, Spain, kicked off the session.

She gave a presentation reviewing a Phase 3 trial she and her colleagues are conducting on the treatment of high-risk smoldering myeloma patients with Revlimid (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone (Decadron) (

Myeloma specialists from the Czech Republic have published clinical trial results that shed further light on chromosomal abnormalities and their impact on survival in newly diag­nosed multiple myeloma patients.

Specifically, the researchers found that patients with three or more chromos­omal abnor­malities, a gain in the 1q21 region, or the trans­location t(4;14) have reduced survival compared to patients without such abnormalities.

According to the researchers, their findings highlight the importance of chromosomal abnormalities when considering treatment options for myeloma patients.

They note, however, that their findings need to be confirmed in a pro­spective, …