Articles tagged with: Dexamethasone
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A retrospective study conducted at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas will be presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting. Published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the study examined the effects of autologous stem cell transplantation after combination drug therapy in 95 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients and found that transplantation improved patients' responses.
Prior to autologous stem cell transplantation, patients in the study were treated with a combination regimen of Velcade (bortezomib), Revlimid (lenalidomide), and dexamethasone (Decadron) (VRD); …
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MMRF ‘Laugh For Life’ Fundraising Event — On May 5, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) will host the ‘Laugh For Life’ fundraiser in New York City from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event will feature dinner, live and silent auctions, and an entertaining line up of stand-up comedians. More information, as well as ticket purchase, may be found at the MMRF Web site.
Dacetuzumab Clinical Trials Currently Enrolling — Seattle Genetics, Inc. has announced preclinical data for dacetuzumab, an anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody currently being tested for treatment of multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In the most recent results, dacetuzumab enhanced patient response to regimens of conventional chemotherapeutic agents, and researchers have identified a tumor mutation that helps predict which patients will respond to dacetuzumab. Two clinical trials, the first testing dacetuzumab alone and the second testing it in conjunction with Revlimid (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone (Decadron), are currently enrolling. For more information, see the Seattle Genetics, Inc. preclinical results press release.
Sign Up With LLS’s 'Team In Training' For The Nation’s Triathlon – On September 13, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) will host the Nation’s Triathlon, the only triathlon dedicated to fighting blood cancer, in Washington, D.C. Although the event is already sold out, individuals can still participate by joining LLS’s 'Team in Training' (TNT) program. By signing up with TNT, participants will receive four to five months of certified coaching, race gear, and travel and lodging arrangements. For more information, see the LLS Team in Training Web site.
For a more detailed listing of myeloma-related events, please check the Myeloma Beacon Events Calendar.
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On April 23, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) announced its final decision to recommend coverage of Revlimid (lenalidomide) in England and Wales. NICE has endorsed Revlimid in combination with dexamethasone (Decadron) for the treatment of multiple myeloma in patients who have already received prior therapies.
Revlimid is a therapeutic agent that has often proven to be effective in the treatment of relapsed patients. Clinical trials report extended survival times and recession in signs and symptoms in the majority of patients.
In the U.K., NICE decides which …
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A recent study in the April issue of Blood compared combination treatment regimens for elderly myeloma patients.
The study found that elderly multiple myeloma patients undergoing treatment with melphalan (Alkeran) and prednisone , known as an MP regimen, enjoyed higher 1-year and overall survival rates than those undergoing treatment with thalidomide (Thalomid) and dexamethasone (Decadron), known as a TD regimen. The combination of thalidomide and dexamethasone resulted in greater tumor reduction, but it did not ultimately translate to better outcome, due to the high rate of fatal toxicities. …
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A recent report published in Blood journal monitored the effects of Revlimid (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone (Decadron) on patients with relapsed or refractory myeloma who exhibited cytogenetic, or chromosomal, abnormalities.
A cytogenetic abnormality is a difference in either the number or structure of a person’s chromosomes, which carry DNA. The researchers in this study focused on three common cytogenetic abnormalities that occur in myeloma patients: del(13q), del(17p13) and t(4;14).
Del(13q) refers to a deletion of a large section, or “arm,” of chromosome 13, while del(17p13) refers to the deletion of …
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The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved safety label revisions for the multiple myeloma drug Revlimid (lenalidomide), adding a warning for patients with decreased kidney function. Kidney impairment causes the body to clear Revlimid more slowly than normal, and kidney impaired patients should therefore receive reduced dosages.
Revlimid is a novel therapeutic agent that has proven effective, often in combination with dexamethasone (Decadron), in treating initial and relapsed multiple myeloma. Unlike some drugs that are metabolized (broken down) in the liver, Revlimid actively circulates through the body until the …
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Researchers at the Mayo Clinic applied risk stratification in newly diagnosed myeloma patients receiving Revlimid (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone (Decadron) therapy. They found that progression-free survival was lower for high-risk patients compared with standard-risk patients.
Risk stratification examines the risk factors that lead to a reduced survival rate in patients, and it is a useful way of understanding why some treatments only work well for some patients. The scientists looked at 100 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients who had been given Revlimid-dexamethasone for the first treatment and examined them based on …