In my last column, I described how a couple of incidents, one on the subway and one at work, during the first few months of steroid and Revlimid (lenalidomide) treatment had given me hints that more than physical effects were going to be involved in my multiple myeloma treatments.

After five months on chemotherapy, it seemed that, while my medicines were apparently going to control the myeloma – I was approaching “very good partial response” – I could tell that the chemotherapy was having profound effects on me emotionally.

Continuing …

Results of a recent study conducted in the United Kingdom show that elderly and transplant-ineligible multiple myeloma patients who are treated with a reduced-dose combination of cyclophosphamide, thalidomide, and dexamethasone as initial therapy achieve a greater overall response rate than patients who are treated with melphalan plus prednisone.

However, patients who received the three-drug combination had comparable overall survival and progression-free survival rates as patients who received melphalan plus prednisone.  Additionally, side effects were more common among patients treated with the three-drug combination.

High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation is …

The results of a recent study from Italy suggest that the combination treatment of melphalan, prednisone, and thalidomide may increase survival in newly diagnosed elderly multiple myeloma patients compared to melphalan and prednisone alone. However, the rate of side effects increased with the addition of thalidomide.

Despite the higher rate of side effects, the study authors suggested that the combination of melphalan (Alkeran), prednisone, and thalidomide (Thalidomid) (MPT) should be considered a standard of care for newly diagnosed patients who are over 65 years old or ineligible for a …

A follow-up analysis of recent trial results suggests that reducing Velcade administration from twice weekly to once weekly when given in combination with melphalan, prednisone, and thalidomide reduces side effects in elderly multiple myeloma patients.  The less frequent administration did not affect the efficacy of the treatment.

The researchers had reported earlier this summer that the addition of thalidomide (Thalomid) to Velcade (bortezomib), melphalan (Alkeran), and prednisone (referred to as VMPT), followed by long-term treatment with Velcade and thalidomide (VT), improved response rates and progression-free survival in elderly …

During the course of their disease, multiple myeloma patients may develop a condition called amyloidosis.  Amyloidosis is a disease in which proteins accumulate in organs such as the heart or kidneys, leading to organ damage and complications associated with some multiple myeloma treatments.

The following article describes amyloidosis as it relates to multiple myeloma and includes some of the current treatment recommendations for patients with this dual diagnosis.

What Is Amyloidosis?

Amyloidosis occurs when proteins accumulate in organs such as the heart, kidney, liver, or intestines.

There are …

Newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients who achieved a complete response to the combination of Velcade, melphalan, and prednisone experienced longer time to disease progression, time to next therapy, and treatment-free interval compared to patients who achieved a partial response. 

The benefits associated with complete response were similar regardless of whether complete response was achieved early or late in the treatment course.

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that the achievement of a complete response should be considered an important treatment goal. They recommended that VMP be continued in patients tolerating therapy, …

Results of a Phase 3 trial showed that the addition of thalidomide (Thalomid) to Velcade (bortezomib), melphalan (Alkeran), and prednisone (referred to as VMPT), followed by long-term treatment with Velcade and thalidomide (VT), may become the new standard of care for elderly multiple myeloma patients. The results were presented by Dr. Antonio Palumbo of the University of Turin, Italy, on June 6 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago.

Dr. Palumbo and his colleagues compared VMPT followed by VT maintenance, which they hypothesized …