NewsFlash »

High Levels Of Interleukin-16 Found In Multiple Myeloma Patients – German researchers recently found that a protein called interleukin-16, which helps regulate the growth of normal white blood cells, is overproduced in the bone marrow of multiple myeloma patients. They also found that they could slow the growth of myeloma cells in the laboratory by 80 percent  when they prevented the cells from producing interleukin-16. Based on their findings, the researchers suggested that interleukin-16 may be a basis for new diagnostic or prognostic tests or treatments. For more information, please see the study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (abstract) and a 2004 study (abstract) that also investigated interleukin-16's role in myeloma.

Pre-Existing Diabetes Negatively Impacts Prognosis Of Multiple Myeloma Patients – A recent study found that multiple myeloma patients with pre-existing diabetes have lower survival rates than patients without diabetes. The study also found that such patients were more likely to have kidney problems and advanced multiple myeloma at the time of diagnosis. In addition, they were less likely to receive bisphosphonates for myeloma-related bone disease. For more information, please see the study in the European Journal of Haematology (abstract).

Quality Of Life Decreases After Multiple Myeloma Diagnosis For Majority – A recent survey conducted in the Netherlands shows that within one year of diagnosis, the majority (74 percent) of multiple myeloma patients report a decrease in quality of life. In addition, patients reported that the most bothersome symptoms within the past week included tingling in the hands/feet (peripheral neuropathy), back pain, bone pain, arm/shoulder pain, and feeling drowsy. In a recent Myeloma Beacon poll, peripheral neuropathy and fatigue, followed by pain, were mentioned as the most life-altering side effects of myeloma treatment. For more information, please see the study in the European Journal of Haematology (abstract) and the Beacon poll on life-altering side effects.

Opinion»

My last column sparked some interesting discussion about the balance between treating multiple myeloma aggressively enough to be effective, while minimizing side effects and maximizing quality of life.

This balance has many facets to it.

Everything in medicine comes down to a risk-benefit question.  How much risk is there to a treatment, and what is the expected benefit?

Sounds simple enough.  The problem is that the answer is not always clear, especially for any one individual.

Multiple myeloma is a disease with lots of choices and lots of treatment options.  For example, …

News»

Researchers have announced that current clinical treatment guidelines do not adequately incorporate quality of life considerations and are calling for increased attention to the “patient perspective” in myeloma treatment.. Presently, few studies have examined quality of life issues. For those that have, their results have often failed to have a meaningful effect on clinical decision-making.

A study in the European Journal of Haematology identified 15 high-quality clinical trials since 1990 that included quality of life as a principal focus. These studies examined the impact of various myeloma treatments and therapeutic interventions on …

News»

A study published in the July issue of the journal Blood examines quality of life in individuals who have undergone allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), a procedure often used to treat multiple myeloma patients.

Allogeneic HCT involves the transplantation of stem cells donated from one person to another person. Stem cells, found in the bone marrow, develop into red blood cells, white blood cells, and blood platelets. When a person with myeloma or another type of blood cancer goes through chemotherapy, not only do cancer cells get destroyed, but so do normal …