Multiple Myeloma Forums - Home

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2009 15:53 Written by Administrator Tuesday, 14 April 2009 04:49

This site was started to promote communication among the Myeloma community. Whether you're new to Myeloma or a seasoned veteran we encourage you to take a moment to register and engage the community.

This is a friendly community where you can ask or say anything Myeloma related without the fear of being ridiculed or banned. Active members in this community should be able to walk away with a wealth of information and know they are making the best decisions possible.

By sharing information on here we can learn about: The best treatment options, clinical trials, dieting, pain management, doctors, organizations, events, news, and so much more. This community should bring people together from every corner of the world and allow each of you to know what treatment options are offered outside of your country as well.

Knowledge is power!

Andy

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Multiple Myeloma Facts

Last Updated on Saturday, 06 June 2009 18:07 Written by Administrator Sunday, 19 April 2009 17:00

What is Myeloma?

Myeloma, or multiple myeloma, is cancer of a certain type of blood cell called a plasma cell. It begins in the bone marrow, where blood cells are made. Bone marrow is found in the soft, spongy center of certain bones.

In adults, marrow usually is active only in the skull, shoulders, spine, ribs, pelvis and hips. (It’s not active lower in the arms, hands, legs or feet.) Myeloma can affect any bones where marrow is active.

Healthy bone marrow produces the three major types of blood cells our bodies need.

White blood cells fight infection.
Red blood cells carry oxygen.
Platelets make the blood clot and stop bleeding.

Myeloma affects one type of white blood cell, called a plasma cell, that’s part of your immune system. Normally when bacteria or viruses enter your body, white blood cells called B lymphocytes, or B cells, turn into plasma cells to fight these germs. The plasma cells make antibodies to destroy the specific type of infection you have.

Myeloma Stain

In myeloma, plasma cells don’t reproduce normally, and they can’t perform their normal immune duties. The cancerous plasma cells, also called myeloma cells, divide and grow out of control, building up in the marrow and crowding out other healthy blood cells. This can increase your risk of infection, anemia (shortage of oxygen-carrying red blood cells) and blood-clotting problems.

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Pesticides Linked to Precancerous Blood Disorder

Last Updated on Wednesday, 09 December 2009 01:59 Written by Administrator Wednesday, 09 December 2009 01:53

Individuals who apply pesticides to crops are twice as likely as the general population to develop a precancerous blood disorder called MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance), which can lead to multiple myeloma, according to the results of a study published in Blood.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the blood that affects the plasma cells, which are an important part of the immune system that produce antibodies to help fight infection and disease. Multiple myeloma is characterized by an excess production of abnormal plasma cells. Symptoms include increased risk of bacterial infections and impaired immune responses. Almost all patients with multiple myeloma experience the plasma disorder MGUS before developing myeloma.

Poison Sign

Previous studies have indicated that pesticides may be associated with an increased risk of multiple myeloma. This more recent study included a cohort of 678 men ages 30-94 from the Agricultural Health Study (which included over 57,000 subjects). The men work as pesticide applicators in North Carolina and Iowa and were enrolled in the study between 1993 and 1997. They provided blood samples that were analyzed for MGUS and then compared with samples from 9,469 men from the general population in Minnesota.

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Onyx drug shows promise in multiple myeloma study

Last Updated on Tuesday, 22 December 2009 22:13 Written by Administrator Wednesday, 09 December 2009 01:46

NEW YORK, Dec 7 (Reuters) - An experimental cancer drug recently acquired by Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc showed promising response rates in patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma, according to interim data from a pair of small mid-stage trials.

The studies, presented on Monday at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in New Orleans, tested carfilzomib given intravenously every 28 days in 73 patients who had not previously been treated with Takeda Pharmaceuticals' Velcade, and in 33 others following treatment with Velcade.

"These interim results suggest that carfilzomib could benefit patients with multiple myeloma who are no longer responding to current therapies," Dr. David Siegel, co-investigator of the studies, said in a statement.

Onyx acquired carfilzomib with its purchase last month of Proteolix Inc, saying the drug for multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, has the potential for accelerated U.S. approval in 2011.

New Velcade®-melphalan Transplant Regimen for Multiple Myeloma

Written by Administrator Wednesday, 09 December 2009 01:38

Researchers from France have reported encouraging results with adding Velcade® (bortezomib) to high-dose melphalan followed by autologus stem cell infusion for initial treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. The details of this Phase II study appeared in an early online publication in Blood on November 2, 2009.

Velcade is the first in a new class of anticancer agents known as proteasome inhibitors and is being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of patients with refractory hematologic malignancies, especially multiple myeloma. As a single agent, Velcade has a response rate of approximately 30%, and 4-5% of these responses are complete. A recent study has also shown that Velcade produces a 90% response rate in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

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Cancercare Launches New Program to Help Multiple Myeloma Patients Cover Transportation Costs

Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 August 2009 03:27 Written by Administrator Tuesday, 25 August 2009 03:20

Cash

"Door to Door" initiative offers individual grants to patients to help defray transportation costs to and from medical care.

New York, NY, July 20, 2009— CancerCare announced today the launch of the "Door to Door" program for patients with multiple myeloma. CancerCare's program will provide individual grants of up to $600 annually to multiple myeloma patients for covering transportation costs such as gasoline, parking and tolls, and taxi, bus or train fare to and from their medical care.

The program is funded in part by a generous grant from Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company. CancerCare is a national non-profit organization based in New York City that provides free support services to people affected by cancer.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow that is diagnosed in approximately 20,000 people annually in the U.S. Advances in the treatment of this cancer have dramatically increased patients' life expectancy (an estimated 60,000 people in the U.S. are now living with multiple myeloma) and consequently lengthened the duration of treatment.

"Because of the nature of their therapies and the disease itself, many multiple myeloma patients may be required to visit their doctors several times a week over many months. Particularly for patients on a fixed income, these travel expenses add up and create a financial burden that may prevent them from keeping up with their health care," noted Diane Blum, executive director of CancerCare. "The Door to Door program will provide much-needed relief to this patient population, and we are grateful for Millennium's support."

Founded in 1944, CancerCare has a long track record of providing financial assistance to people facing cancer; it is a cornerstone of its direct support services to help people cope with the emotional and practical issues of a cancer diagnosis. During fiscal year 2009, CancerCare provided over $4.2 million in grants to more than 24,000 people with cancer to cover treatment-related costs like transportation, child care and medications for side effects.

Last year CancerCare launched a separate foundation to help cancer patients cover the cost of their health insurance co-payments for certain types of treatments. To date, the CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation has assisted thousands of people undergoing cancer treatments with grants of up to $10,000.

To receive a Door to Door transportation grant, patients must meet certain eligibility criteria and complete an application form. A sample patient application form along with a physician verification form may be viewed online. To apply, call 1-800-813-HOPE (4673).

For more information about multiple myeloma, read CancerCare's free Connect booklet, Advances in the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma.

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