Articles tagged with: Opinion
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Opinion: Different Experiences With Myeloma – In the latest article published in the opinion section of The Myeloma Beacon, Vietnam Veteran David Willson, who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma five years ago, writes about how multiple myeloma has affected his life. He feels that his experiences have been very different from those described by most other myeloma patients writing or commenting at The Beacon. He would like to know whether his experiences are an exception, and hear from others who have stories similar to his.
Vertebroplasty And Kyphoplasty May Improve Quality Of Life Of Multiple Myeloma Patients – Results from a recent study indicate that vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures improve quality of life of myeloma patients with spinal fractures. Specifically, the researchers found that both procedures significantly reduced pain and the need for pain killers and improved patients’ physical activity. Both procedures appeared to be equally effective. Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are known as vertebral augmentation therapies and have shown in previous studies to decrease pain in myeloma patients. Vertebroplasty involves injecting bone cement directly into the spinal fracture site, which provides pain relief and stabilizes the spine. In kyphoplasty, a balloon is inserted into the fractured bone and inflated to create a void, which is then filled with cement. For more information, please refer to the study in the journal Leukemia (pdf).
Investigational Drug SNX-5422 Shows Some Activity In Multiple Myeloma – Findings from a small Phase 1 trial show that the investigational drug SNX-5422 (PF-04929113), which is being developed by the drug development company Esanex, may be effective in stabilizing refractory or relapsed myeloma. The study included 25 patients with a variety of blood cancers. One patient with myeloma experienced prolonged stabilization of their disease while participating in this study. SNX-5422 belongs to a class of drugs called heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitors. Tanespimycin is another Hsp90 inhibitor that was being developed for the treatment of myeloma; however, development of this drug was halted in late-stage clinical trials (see related Beacon news). A Phase 2 study is being planned to test SNX-5422 further in myeloma and lymphoma patients. SNX-5422 is also being investigated for a variety of solid tumors, including breast and lung cancer. For more information, please see the study in the journal Clinical Lymphoma Myeloma and Leukemia (abstract).
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Opinion: Kadian, A Little-Known Pain Drug – In the latest article published in the opinion section of the Myeloma Beacon, Lori Puente, whose husband Dave is a myeloma patient, writes about Dave’s experiences managing pain after a T8 vertebra fracture in 2008. Dave had been on a fentanyl patch as well as two oral pain drugs, but did not respond well to these drugs. Lori requested that Dave’s doctor prescribe Kadian, a morphine sulfate extended-release oral pain drug, based on a recommendation from an internal medicine physician. Lori describes in her article how Kadian has helped Dave manage his pain. To receive a copy of all opinion articles when they are published or if you are interested in contributing an opinion piece, please send an email to .
Geraldine Ferraro Dies Of Myeloma-Related Complications – Geraldine A. Ferraro, the first female U.S. vice-presidential candidate, died of myeloma-related complications at the age of 75 on Saturday. She was diagnosed with smoldering myeloma in November 1998 at the age of 63. She progressed to active myeloma in June 2000 and has since been treated by Dr. Kenneth Anderson at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. She first received treatment with thalidomide (Thalomid). When that stopped working for her, she participated in a clinical trial for Revlimid (lenalidomide). She then received a stem cell transplant in 2005, followed by Velcade (bortezomib) maintenance therapy.
Ferraro did not disclose her disease until June 2001 when she testified on behalf of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation in front of Congress for the passage of the Hematological Cancer Research Investment and Education Act, which was aimed at expanding blood cancer research and cancer education. Since then, Ferraro has been an avid advocate of raising awareness about the disease. In addition, she was an honorary board member of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
MMRF Patient Seminar On Clinical Insights To Be Held In Short Hills, NJ – The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) is hosting a seminar on April 2 for multiple myeloma patients to learn about treatment options and to ask questions for myeloma experts. Topics include treatment for newly diagnosed patients, stem cell transplantation, relapsed/refractory treatments, supportive care options, and clinical trials. The seminar is chaired by Dr. David Siegel and Dr. David Vesole from the John Theurer Cancer Center in Hackensack, NJ. For more information or to register, please visit the MMRF website.
British Society For Haematology 51st Annual Meeting – The British Society for Haematology will be holding its 51st annual meeting at the Brighton Centre from April 4 to April 6. Myeloma-related talks include adopting myeloma protocols in high-risk settings, the diagnosis and management of myeloma, and future advances in myeloma treatment. For more information, please see the British Society for Haematology website.
For a more detailed listing of myeloma-related events, please check the Myeloma Beacon Events Calendar.
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Opinion: Stem Cell Collection And Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment – In the latest article published in the opinion section of The Beacon, Lori Puente, whose husband is a multiple myeloma patient, wrote about her husband’s use of hyperbaric oxygen treatment to improve his number of stem cells available for collection. Lori’s husband Dave received extensive radiation for his bone damage. After being told that the radiation would likely severely hinder Dave’s ability to collect enough stem cells, Lori and Dave learned that hyperbaric oxygen treatment might increase the number of stem cells available for collection. Lori describes in her article how Dave underwent hyperbaric oxygen treatment and successfully collected enough stem cells for 11 transplants. To receive a copy of all opinion articles when they are published or if you are interested in contributing an opinion piece, send an email to .
The Beacon’s ASH 2010 Coverage Is Now Completed – As of yesterday, The Beacon completed its comprehensive coverage of the 2010 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting, including more than 20 articles with daily updates from the meeting and in-depth summaries of key myeloma-related presentations. Discussions about presentations from each day of the conference can also be found in the Beacon Forums (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4).
SNS01-T Receives Orphan Drug Status For Multiple Myeloma – On January 3, Senesco Technologies announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the company’s lead therapeutic candidate, SNS01-T, orphan drug status for the treatment of multiple myeloma. The FDA uses the orphan drug designation to promote the development of new treatments for diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States. The orphan drug status provides the company with multiple benefits, including funding for clinical trials, accelerated FDA approval, and marketing exclusivity for up to seven years. Senesco plans to begin clinical trials with SNS01-T later this year. For more information, please see the Senesco press release.
Epizyme Receives $1 Million From MMRF And $20 Million From GSK For Research That May Benefit Myeloma Patients – The Boston-area biotech company Epizyme recently announced $21 million in funding for the research of histone methyltransferase (HMT) inhibitors. Epizyme’s research targets HMT proteins that regulate the on/off switch for genes, many of which are associated with multiple myeloma and other cancers. The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) awarded $1 million in funding to Epizyme for its development of innovative myeloma treatments. Epizyme will also receive $20 million plus additional milestone payments in a deal with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for the discovery and development of Epizyme’s HMT inhibitors. Epizyme will be responsible for all research activities up to the selection of a development candidate for each target HMT. From that stage, GSK will control all further development and marketing activities. For more information, please see the MMRF and Epizyme press releases.
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Opinion: Individualizing The Dosing Of Multiple Myeloma Treatment – In the latest article published in the opinion section of The Beacon, Dr. Gary Blau, a multiple myeloma patient and visiting professor at Purdue University, wrote about the need to individualize doses of multiple myeloma treatments based on how each patient’s body absorbs and disposes of the drug. To receive a copy of all opinion articles when they are published, send an email to .
Certain Velcade Batches Are Recalled Due To Particles – On Thursday, Johnson & Johnson and Takeda, the manufacturers of Velcade (bortezomib), recalled certain batches of Velcade in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Malaysia. The recalled vials may contain particles that become visible after the powder form of the drug is dissolved into a solution for injection. The particles could cause injection site reactions, inflammation, or blood clots. There have not yet been any reports of negative side effects caused by the particles. The recall is a voluntary measure and affects vials distributed between January and July. The particles were a result of the manufacturing process, which the manufacturers report has since been improved. For more information and a list of lots recalled from the U.S., see the Millennium website. A list of the lots recalled from Europe can be found on the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency website.
Geron Corporation To Begin Phase 2 Study Of Imetelstat For Myeloma – A Phase 2 study of Imetelstat (GRN163L) will soon be recruiting participants. The purpose of the study is to determine the efficacy of Imetelstat in previously treated multiple myeloma patients. Imetelstat inhibits an enzyme called telomerase, which is crucial to the survival of many cancer cells, thereby causing cancer cells to die. Imetelstat is being developed by Geron Corporation. For more information, see the Geron website and the clinical trial description.
Cetrotide Shows Promise In Multiple Myeloma – Preclinical results showed that Cetrotide (cetrorelix acetate) inhibits growth and kills multiple myeloma cells, including those resistant to Velcade (bortezomib), Revlimid (lenalidomide), or Trisenox (arsenic trioxide). Cetrotide also inhibited growth of myeloma cells in mice, and no side effects were observed. Cetrotide suppresses the production of several reproductive hormones. It is marketed by Merck Serono and is approved to control ovulation in women. It is also being studied extensively in breast cancer and prostate cancer. For more information, see the study in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.
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The Myeloma Beacon is pleased to announce the addition of an opinion section to its website.
In the opinion section, patients, caregivers, and others with an interest in myeloma have the opportunity to share their views on myeloma-related topics. These may include, among others, an opinion on a topic, a call to action, or tips/advice for myeloma patients.
“We recognize that myeloma patients, caregivers, and others with an interest in the disease have the desire to voice their opinion on important myeloma-related topics,” said Boris Simkovich, publisher of The Myeloma Beacon. …