Pat’s Place: Risk Versus Reward When Considering A Stem Cell Transplant
In last month’s column, I wrote about how much my perspective on myeloma therapy has changed over the past six years since my diagnosis. In a nutshell, I’m more willing to try new things and endure...
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Revlimid Plus Dexamethasone Delays Progression And Extends Survival In...
Results from a Spanish Phase 3 study published late Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate that treatment of high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma with Revlimid plus dexamethasone...
View ArticleBeacon NewsFlashes – August 5, 2013
Phase 2 Clinical Trial To Examine If Natural Killer Cells Slow Progression Of Smoldering Myeloma – Researchers from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, in collaboration with Millennium...
View ArticleSean’s Burgundy Thread: Sleepless Inconvenience
In last month’s column, Dreams and Destinations, I recounted the wacky drive I took down to Little Rock, Arkansas, for my first doctor’s checkup after having been off of all multiple myeloma drugs for...
View ArticleNew Comorbidity Index May Help Determine Multiple Myeloma Risk Level
German researchers recently developed a new system that calculates the risk level of multiple myeloma patients based on patient’s overall health status and other diseases a patient has in addition to...
View ArticleNorthern Lights: Could Environmental Factors Be The Cause Of My Myeloma?
My husband and I recently took a road trip to Golden and Revelstoke in British Columbia. Ewe hiked and went sightseeing among the mountains and lakes. It was truly beautiful there. While driving down...
View ArticlePomalidomide Approved In Europe For Relapsed And Refractory Multiple Myeloma
The European Commission (EC) has approved pomalidomide for the treatment of certain patients with multiple myeloma. The European brand name for the drug is expected to be “Imnovid,” although final...
View ArticleShould Myeloma Patients Panic If They Do Not Achieve A Complete Response?
Over the last year or two, I have seen an increasing number of patients with multiple myeloma who are deeply worried that they have “failed” treatment because they are not in “complete response” (CR)....
View ArticleBeacon NewsFlashes – August 12, 2013
Velcade Receives Additional Approvals In Europe – The approved uses of Velcade (bortezomib) for multiple myeloma patients were recently expanded in the European Union. These additional approved uses...
View ArticleArnie’s Rebounding World: Hope Is Not A Strategy
I recently met up with an old friend of mine for lunch. After exchanging the usual pleasantries, he began to relate to me his current dilemma. Due to changes in the business environment, it seems that...
View ArticleItalian Study Documents Efficacy And Safety Of Velcade Plus Dexamethasone In...
A new study provides useful, if somewhat dated, insight into the efficacy and safety of Velcade combined with dexamethasone to treat relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The retrospective study,...
View ArticleME vs. MM: Support Groups And Seminars
I have only once gone to a support group meeting. Earlier this year, I attended a meeting at the local Gilda’s Club because I thought Beacon columnist Pat Killingsworth was going to be attending as a...
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Early Or Late Stem Cell Transplantation For Myeloma? New Study Finds Both...
Results from a retrospective study show that delaying stem cell transplantation following initial therapy may result in shorter progression-free survival following transplantation compared to...
View ArticleBeacon NewsFlashes – August 19, 2013
Study Reveals Variations In Minimal Residual Disease Testing For Myeloma – Results from a recent study suggest that testing for residual multiple myeloma after treatment varies widely across medical...
View ArticleLetters From Cancerland: The Wheatgrass Juice Chronicles
This one is for all of us who live in Cancerland and are waylaid by one too many individuals practicing medicine without a license. What is it about a cancer diagnosis that suddenly endows people...
View ArticleTransplantation With Stem Cells Collected After An Initial Transplant May...
Results from a recent study indicate that collecting more stem cells prior to a myeloma patient’s first transplant may be beneficial for future transplants. Specifically, relapsed patients who...
View ArticleProtein Biomarkers May Predict Onset Of Acute GVHD After Donor Stem Cell...
Results from a retrospective study demonstrate that a set of protein biomarkers found in urine can be used to predict the development of acute graft-versus-host disease in patients who undergo donor...
View ArticleContinued Response After Stem Cell Transplantation For Myeloma May Signal...
Results from a recent study suggest that multiple myeloma patients whose monoclonal (M) protein levels continue to decrease after 100 days following stem cell transplantation may experience improved...
View ArticleAmgen To Acquire Onyx, Maker Of Kyprolis; What Does It Mean For The Myeloma...
Onyx Pharmaceuticals, the South San Francisco, California-based company that developed and now markets Kyprolis (carfilzomib), announced yesterday evening that it is being acquired by Amgen. Amgen...
View ArticleBeacon NewsFlashes – August 26, 2013
Alcohol Consumption May Reduce Risk Of Developing Myeloma – Results from a recent retrospective study suggest that alcohol consumption may be associated with a reduced risk of multiple myeloma. The...
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