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 …

At the recent XII International Myeloma Workshop (IMW), physicians addressed the ongoing "cure versus control" debate in treating multiple myeloma. Though it can seem like a philosophical matter, the debate is extremely important to patient care. Whether a doctor aims to cure the patient or to control the disease will affect the type of treatment selected.

Even though there is still no cure for multiple myeloma, many physicians believe that the long-term survival experienced by many patients is nearly the same as a cure. At the same time, the line between disease …

At the XII International Myeloma Workshop held last month, physicians discussed induction therapy for patients who are not eligible for stem cell transplants.

Induction therapy is the initial treatment given to patients to reduce the number of cancer cells, usually given prior to subsequent treatments. For patients ineligible for transplants, such as the elderly, induction therapy has historically consisted of administering the drugs melphalan and prednisone, but this has changed considerably in recent years.

A number of clinical trials have investigated the combination of melphalan and …

The National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland is expected to start considering special discounts, cash-back offers, and other cost sharing schemes offered by manufacturers of expensive pharmaceuticals.  These arrangements are likely to benefit patients with diseases such as multiple myeloma and other cancers as well as diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

With the new policy, drug companies may offer to pay for part of an expensive treatment or offer money back for drugs that fail to work. According to Kate Seymour of Macmillon Cancer Support, a British charity, “Risk sharing schemes are …

A num­ber of new drugs are on the horizon for re­lapsed and re­frac­tory patients, as discussed by physicians at the 2009 Inter­na­tional Myeloma Workshop (IMW). The dis­cus­sion covered drugs in all stages of devel­op­ment, from those still undergoing initial lab testing to ones already in inter­na­tional clin­i­cal trials.

Overall re­spon­siveness to treat­ment has im­proved dramatically with the recent in­tro­duc­tion of more potent agents such as Revlimid (lena­lido­mide) and Velcade (bor­tez­o­mib). Doctors are now testing com­bi­na­tions of these two drugs with newer pharma­ceu­ticals. Of the two, Velcade has been …

At the recent twelfth annual International Myeloma Workshop (IMW), physicians discussed strategies for managing multiple myeloma symptoms. Their topics included deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a potentially fatal blood clot in the body's large veins, and myeloma-induced bone disease, including "soft spots" and fractures.

DVT involves blood clot formation in the deep veins of the body, and if a clot dislodges, it may travel to other areas and block blood flow to vital organs. Researchers estimate that approximately 70 percent of all critical blockages of lung blood vessels originate from DVT in the …

As Revlimid (lenalidomide) and Velcade (bortezomib) have become standard therapies in the treatment of multiple myeloma, managing side effects is important for patients who want to maintain their treatment while minimizing toxicity.

A recent report published in the journal Community Oncology discusses the management of side effects associated with these agents. Overall, the most commonly observed toxic effects include myelosuppression, gastrointestinal effects, peripheral neuropathy, and thromboembolic events.

Myelosuppression is a condition in which bone marrow activity is decreased, resulting in fewer red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Revlimid …