Recently, my myeloma specialist sent me for a PET/CT scan. I have had many annual skeletal X-ray scans, but since I now have had two cancers (multiple myeloma and breast cancer), and the PET/CT pro­ce­dure scans more deeply into the bones and tissue than regular x-rays, this seemed like a good idea.

Results of the scan will provide a base­line for my health going for­ward. If there were any hotspots of fast- growing can­cer­ous tissue cells in my sys­tem, the test would show them.

My husband accompanied me to my appoint­ment …

Good morning, myeloma world.

As we were finalizing today's edition of Myeloma Morning, we were suddenly reminded of how inter­na­tional the field of multiple myeloma research truly is.

The first research study we review below is by a team of German researchers. We also discuss two studies by Korean researchers, and a topic sparked by a report written by Chinese researchers. At the end of today's report, the list of new myeloma research articles also in­cludes publications by investigators in India, Israel, Italy, and the United States.

As we …

A group of European researchers recently published an extensive review of the imaging techniques cur­rently used in the diag­nosis and follow-up of multiple myeloma and related diseases.

The researchers assessed the benefits and limitations of several dif­fer­ent imaging techniques, in­­clud­ing traditional X-rays, computed to­mog­ra­phy (CT), com­bined positron emission to­mog­ra­phy and CT scan­ning (PET/CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

According to the researchers, the whole-body X-ray skeletal survey re­mains the method of choice for the detection of bone lesions. However, they point out that whole-body CT may replace whole-body X-ray skeletal surveys, because …

Results of a recent German study suggest that PET-CT scans may be more reliable than whole-body MRI in determining the remission status of multiple myeloma patients after stem cell trans­plan­ta­tion.

The investigators conclude that both PET-CT and whole-body MRI provide useful in­for­ma­tion about a patient’s disease status.  However, MRI often incorrectly detects activity in bone lesions that persist after treat­ment.  They there­fore state that PET-CT may be better than MRI for determining remission status.

Similar results were found in a recent Italian study that com­pared PET-CT and MRI for the evaluation of …

The results of a recent study show that MRI is more accurate than PET-CT for staging newly diag­nosed multiple myeloma patients and identifying patients with re­lapsed disease.

However, the results also show that PET-CT scans are more useful for eval­u­ating a patient’s response to ther­apy.

The study investigators indicate that their results are similar to those of pre­vi­ous studies that com­pared MRI and PET-CT for diagnosing patients and eval­u­ating response to ther­apy.  They point out, how­ever, that since their study is the first to compare MRI and PET-CT for identifying re­lapsed disease, …

According to a recent Italian study, the results of PET/CT scans conducted at diagnosis, after induction therapy, and after stem cell transplantation may predict survival in multiple myeloma patients.

Specifically, the study authors found that patients with PET/CT scans negative for cancer cells, bone lesions, or other signs of active cancer had longer progression-free and overall survival times than patients with positive PET/CT scans.

“[Our study shows] a clear identification of the prognostic relevance of PET/CT [along with] other more known prognostic factors such as chromosomal abnormalities,” said Dr. Elena Zamagni of …

By way of introduction, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma on May 5, 2006. That puts me right smack at the halfway point of what one of my doctors said back then. I recall his words well. “I think I can give you a good seven to eight years,” he said.

But, who’s counting.

I will be writing a monthly column for The Myeloma Beacon about my experiences since my diagnosis with myeloma.

You can look for my future columns under the title “Birds in Spring.” The title comes from a line …