The paired use of novel drug agents and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) may not be as effective as formerly believed, according to the June issue of the journal Blood.
Treatment for multiple myeloma commonly integrates high dose therapy of novel drug agents with ASCT. However, an article printed in Blood shows that initial treatment with Revlimid (lenalidomide), one of the novel drug agents, corresponds with inhibition of stem cell mobilization and collection for ASCT.
The introduction of novel drug agents, including thalidomide (Thalomid), Revlimid, and Velcade (bortezomib), has rapidly advanced the methods for treating multiple myeloma, which had previously used combinations of vincristine, doxorubicin (Adriamycin), and dexamethasone (Decadron), known as VAD. Nearly all newly diagnosed myeloma patients are…
Read the full story »
Fill The House For LLS – On July 1, the Cleveland Indians baseball team is sponsoring a fundraiser event that will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). This event will take place at Progressive Field at 7 p.m, and the tickets will cost $16 if purchased from the LLS, otherwise $22. The Indians will donate $5 for each ticket sold by the LLS and $1 for every other ticket purchased. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit the LLS Web site.
Institutional Insights – On July 23, this educational program sponsored by the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) will take place at The Westin Copley Place in Boston. The program will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Topics to be discussed at the program include advances in diagnosis, frontline therapy, stem cell transplant, managing relapse and bone disease, as well as supportive care. For more information, please visit the MMRF Web site.
For a more detailed listing of myeloma related events, please check the Myeloma Beacon Events Calendar.
Researchers have discovered that variants in XRCC5, a DNA repair gene, are associated with greater blood clot risk during thalidomide (Thalomid) therapy. Although researchers remain unsure of the precise mechanism underlying XRCC5’s contribution to clot formation, they hope that genetic screening could one day identify high-risk patients requiring more intensive preventative intervention.
Blood clots, in particular deep vein thrombosis – which is a clot within the deep veins of the body – can be a serious and potentially fatal condition. When clots form in blood vessels, they block blood flow and the…
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplants (auto-HSCT) may reverse kidney failure in one third of multiple myeloma patients, according to authors of an article published in the journal Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.
Stem cell transplants are used to replace stem cells that are killed along with myeloma cells during chemotherapy. Transplantation of stem cells collected from the patient’s bone marrow before chemotherapy is known as an autologous transplant.
About 20 percent of patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma also suffer from kidney failure and five percent are dependent on dialysis.
This recent study…
San Diego International Triathlon – On June 28, the 26th annual San Diego International Triathlon will begin at 5:15 a.m. and end at noon. The race will be held at Spanish Landing Park, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training (TNT) will be participating. The race benefits St. Vincent de Paul Village, America’s top rehabilitation center for homeless and those in need. To join Team In Training for the triathlon, visit the TNT Web site.
The Price Of Life – Directed by Adam Wishart, this BBC documentary is the first to film the decision-making process of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE is an independent organization that provides medical opinions to the National Health Service (NHS), the government-funded health care system in the U.K. The documentary gives insight into NICE’s process of deciding whether or not Revlimid (lenalidomide) should be approved for use and funded by the NHS. It also gives the perspective of patients and an American drug company. For more information, please visit BBC Web site.
For a more detailed listing of myeloma related events, please check the Myeloma Beacon Events Calendar.
In England and Wales, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has finalized guidelines for the use of Revlimid (lenalidomide) in combination with dexamethasone (Decadron). The guidelines recommend the use of Revlimid for myeloma patients who have already received two or more prior therapies.
NICE is an independent organization that provides medical opinions to the National Health Service (NHS), the government-funded health care system in the U.K.
Based on NICE’s recommendation, the NHS will only pay for Revlimid for patients who have received at least two prior therapies. The NICE guidelines recommend…
News Feed
Email Alerts