Thursday was the third day of the International Myeloma Workshop (IMW) in Paris.  There were presentations from early morning through the evening.

Some of the highlights from the first part of Day 3 of the conference are summarized in this article.  Highlights from the second part of the day are summarized in a separate article (see related Beacon news).

Treating Older, Newly Diagnosed Myeloma Patients

The first session of the morning was about treating newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients over the age of 65 years, specifically those who are…

In a session of the International Myeloma Workshop (IMW) today, multiple myeloma experts presented the latest data about the efficacy of Revlimid maintenance therapy and discussed the drug’s potential link to second cancers.

Results from a study conducted by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) showed that Revlimid (lenalidomide) maintenance therapy following stem cell transplantation significantly extends survival of myeloma patients.  Two other studies investigating Revlimid maintenance, the IFM 2005-02 and MM-015 studies, have not yet shown a survival benefit.

All three studies, however, have raised concerns that…

In a recent literature review, Canadian researchers confirmed that the use of aspirin, warfarin, and heparin decreases the risk for blood clots in multiple myeloma patients receiving thalidomide treatment.

However, the authors of the review pointed out that they were unable to recommend a specific strategy for blood clot prevention due to inconsistent reporting of blood clotting events among the trials. 

They pointed out that randomized, controlled trials directly comparing the different medications are needed in order to determine the true efficacy of the preventative medications.

In addition, the authors…

The 13^th International Myeloma Workshop will take place Tuesday, May 3, through Friday, May 6, in Paris.  During the four-day meeting, multiple myeloma specialists from all over the world will discuss the current understanding of the biology and treatment of myeloma.

Additionally, much awaited data about the safety and effectiveness of Revlimid (lenalidomide) maintenance therapy will be presented at the meeting.

The Myeloma Beacon will be covering the event, so readers can expect many articles during the meeting and in the weeks afterward about the key myeloma findings.

The…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last week that it is investigating the safety of the multiple myeloma drugs Revlimid and thalidomide.  The Beacon covered this development in an earlier article.  More details are provided here about why the FDA is conducting the investigation and the possible outcomes of that investigation.  These questions and answers have been developed in consultation with the FDA.

Why is the FDA investigating the safety of Revlimid and thalidomide?

In December, intermediate results from three clinical trials studying long-term use of