A recent study showed that initial treatment of multiple myeloma with a combination of cyclophosphamide and thalidomide negatively impacts a patient’s ability to collect stem cells for transplant.

Physicians were able to collect almost 50 percent fewer stem cells from patients treated with cyclophosphamide and thalidomide (Thalomid) compared to patients treated with other commonly used myeloma treatments. This combination therapy may prevent stem cells from moving from the bone marrow into the circulating blood, where they are harvested for stem cell transplantation.

Treatment of multiple myeloma typically begins…

A Phase 1 study found the four-drug combination of Revlimid-Velcade-dexamethasone-cyclophosphamide (RVCD) to be safe and effective in newly diagnosed, previously untreated multiple myeloma patients.

These results suggest that adding cyclophosphamide as the fourth drug in the treatment therapy may be just as or more effective than traditional two- and three-drug combinations. The study also determined that 500 mg/m² cyclophosphamide, the highest dose tested, could safely be used in the RVCD drug combination.

Previous studies have shown that three-drug combinations can be very effective, including the Revlimid (lenalidomide)-Velcade…

The results of a recent study suggest that consecutive low-dose melphalan and high-dose melphalan treatment combined with autologous stem cell transplants is an effective treatment for multiple myeloma patients with manageable side effects.

“The low-dose melphalan step led to complete response and very good partial response rates similar to those of combinations containing Velcade and steroids at a fraction of the cost,” wrote Dr. Nicolas Novitzky, the study’s lead author, in an email to The Myeloma Beacon.

Melphalan (Alkeran) is a chemotherapeutic drug that is frequently used in combination with…

A statistical analysis of two Phase 3 trials found relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma patients who achieved complete remission and very good partial response to Revlimid and dexamethasone combination treatment had higher overall survival rates and longer times to disease progression compared to patients who only achieved partial response.

The analysis also showed that patients’ response to Revlimid and dexamethasone improved over time with continuous treatment.

The authors of the analysis therefore suggested continuing treatment in patients who achieved partial response as long as possible to achieve best outcome.

They…

Treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients with a combination of cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), Velcade (bortezomib), and dexamethasone (Decadron) (abbreviated CyBorD) appears to be effective and safe. The findings were presented June 5 in a poster session at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting.

The study compared CyBorD with Revlimid (lenalidomide)-dexamethasone treatment (abbreviated RD) and cyclophosphamide-Revlimid-dexamethasone treatment (abbreviated CRD). The results of the Phase 2 trials indicate that RD and CyBorD treatment were similar in efficacy and safety. CRD, however, was not as effective…