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 …

A recent paper published in Lancet Oncology examines drugs that target biological mechanisms in multiple myeloma. This article is the second of three articles discussing new drugs for myeloma treatment.

Researchers have begun to understand the multi-step process by which myeloma occurs. Key features of this process are signaling pathways, which take information from outside of the cell and from within the cell to create a cascading reaction. While signaling pathways are a part of all cells, they are problematic if not regulated.

Studies have shown that a pathway involving the NFkB …

Researchers have discovered that green tea inactivates the anti-cancer properties of Velcade (bor­tez­o­mib), a promising and frequently used drug for treating multiple myeloma.

In recent years, green tea prod­ucts have become a popular health supple­ment after studies dem­onstrated that one of its active com­­pounds, EGCG polyphenol, can act as a potent anti-cancer agent. “Cancer patients look to green tea extracts among other natural supple­ments to complement their thera­peutic regi­mens,” said Axel Schonthal, Ph.D., of the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.

With this in­­for­ma­tion in mind, a recent study …

Numerous treatment options are available to multiple myeloma patients, with the therapeutic objective of inducing complete remission (CR) or at least very good partial remission (VGPR).

In the American Society of Hematology's recent Education Program Book, "Hematology," researcher Jean-Luc Harousseau compares treatment regimens with and without a stem cell transplant component. In addition, he examines the mounting belief that complete remission, a potentially unreliable prognostic indicator, should cease to be the therapeutic goal in all situations.

Comparison: Treatment With and Without Stem Cell Transplant

During initial treatment after …

The multi-center randomized Phase 3 double-blind clinical trial of Zolinza (vorinostat) or placebo in combination with Velcade (bortezomib) will be opening soon. The study will be conducted under Dr. Sundar Jagannath, Chief of the Multiple Myeloma Program at St. Vincent’s Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York.

In combination with the recently announced Phase 2B open-label clinical trial of Velcade plus Zolinza, Dr. Jagannath hopes that this Phase 3 trial will help to explore the effects of combining Zolinza and Velcade.

Zolinza, a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, is already approved …

The Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) announced Friday that it will partner with Merck & Co. to initiate Phase 2B clinical trials of Zolinza (vorinostat) in combination with Velcade (bortezomib). The trial is currently open for the enrollment of patients with relapsed multiple myeloma.

Zolinza, an oral histone deacetylase inhibitor that increases the cellular proteins that prevent cancer, has previously been approved for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Velcade has been previously approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

As a Phase 2 trial, …