Today is Day Twelve.

For those who have been through a stem cell transplant, you know exactly what that means. 

"Thankful" doesn’t begin to express my feelings for the researchers who work tirelessly and have brought about the medical advances that make these myeloma treatments possible.

My sister Deana, who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in April, was admitted to the hospital on Monday of Thanksgiving week to undergo a stem cell transplant.

I was right there with her.  Correction: Me and my 150 pounds of luggage, filled with books, …

Results from a recent Canadian study show that second stem cell trans­planta­tion as salvage therapy for multiple myeloma can be a safe and effective treatment option, especially for patients who relapsed more than 24 months after their first transplant.

Patients with a longer remission period after the first transplant demonstrated longer progression-free and overall survival times after the second transplant than those who relapsed within 24 months.

Additionally, achievement of at least a very good partial response after the salvage transplant was associ­ated with better survival outcomes.

“This may be an optimal …

A new study by Spanish researchers sheds light on the role of stem cell transplantation in the treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

The study focuses on newly diagnosed patients who, in a clinical trial, did not respond to initial rounds of chemotherapy to treat their disease.

It finds that, among these non-responding patients, the ones who had stable disease after their initial round of chemotherapy responded well to stem cell transplantation.

In contrast, the patients whose disease not only did not respond to initial therapy, but continued to progress, got little …

A group of French myeloma specialists recently published a review of treatment strategies for multiple myeloma patients who have relapsed or become resistant to previous therapies.

This Beacon article, the first in a two-part series, summarizes the review's perspectives on the use of novel agents in the treatment of relapsed and refractory myeloma.  

A second Beacon article will look at the review's insights into issues that need to be considered when choosing among relapse treatment options.

The authors of the recent review begin their discussion by noting how use of the …

It had been my intention to write this column about the terrific experience I had recently when I attended the MMRF Gala.  What a spectacular event – so inspiring.

But, I am going to have to save that for next time, because last Thursday was The Most Difficult Day – the most challenging 24 hours my sisters and I have experienced so far in our myeloma journey.

The Most Difficult Day made me appreciate even more all the wonderful people who do their job well when working with myeloma patients.

Let’s start …

Results of a recent analysis suggest that newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients receiving Revlimid or thalidomide as initial therapy have similar prognoses regardless of whether they receive an early stem cell transplant or delay the transplant and continue their initial treatment.

Specifically, the authors of the analysis found that myeloma patients who received a stem cell transplant early in the course of their disease had a comparable survival rate and time to disease progression as patients who continued Revlimid (lenalidomide) or thalidomide (Thalomid) as initial therapy and intended to do …

Still in post-marathon euphoria, I boarded the plane Sunday afternoon a week ago, and headed to Pittsburgh for my sister Deana’s Monday oncologist appointment.  All my energy was directed toward us getting the report we hoped for – clearance to move to transplant.

Deana picked me up and was wearing a Texas A&M baseball cap – an appropriate choice for Team BTHO MM.  I could see that she was bald underneath, and she later removed the cap to show me her head.  I had been concerned …