| In
our larger bones we have bone marrow, the area in the
center of each bone where white cells, red cells, and
platelets grow. Multiple myeloma occurs when one type
of white blood cell, a plasma cell, reproduces without
stopping and causes damage to other organs. In most patients,
myeloma is found in more than one location and is called
multiple myeloma. Normally these cells would create a
wide variety of antibodies to support our immune system;
instead the cancerous plasma cells take up more and more
room in the bone marrow cavity, which leaves less and
less room for normal marrow cells. |
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| Topics addressed: |
| Understanding a Multiple Myeloma Diagnosis |
| What Constitutes a Myeloma Remission? |
| A Barometer of Hope: Myeloma Research and Treatment News |
| Powerful Patients Living with Myeloma |
| Myeloma Testing and Personalized Treatment |
Patient Perspective on Myeloma News
from ASH 2011 |
| Novel Therapies and Stem Cell Transplant |
| Moving Forward with Multiple Myeloma |
| Upfront Combination Therapy |
| The Promise of Second-Generation Biologics |
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| Instead of millions
of different antibodies that can effectively protect
the patient from infection, myeloma cells make only one
type of antibody and thus leave the patient vulnerable.
These myeloma cells can also push their way into the
hard outer layer, the cortex, of bones and this can make
those bones particularly prone to break. In fact many
people realize they have multiple myeloma when they break
a bone from minimal activity such as bumping into something
or picking up a gallon of milk. |
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| Additionally, myeloma
cells can make so many antibodies or misshapen antibodies
that they clog the kidney’s filtration system and can
cause permanent kidney damage that, left untreated, can
lead a patient to dialysis. |
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How
common is
Multiple Myeloma? |
Approximately
60,000 people in the United States have multiple myeloma
and more than 20,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
Unfortunately multiple myeloma is currently incurable.
The average survival from diagnosis is approximately
4-10 years. |
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What
treatments are
currently available? |
In
the last decade there has been an explosion of new therapies
for myeloma, including novel immunomodulatory agents
such as such as Thalidomide and Lenalidomide (Revlimid™)
as well as drugs such as Bortezomib (Velcade™) that attack
“housekeeping” processes in cancer cells. There are now
40 agents being tested in myeloma and over a hundred
active clinical trials. Intravenous medications to decrease
the risk of fractures in myeloma patients are given on
a monthly basis, but because of a variety of side effects,
ongoing clinical trials are focused on limiting patient
exposure to these medications while maximizing effectiveness. |
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Improvements
in survival occur by bringing new drugs or treatment
strategies to the clinic. The essence of a clinical
trial is testing something new in hopes of improving
treatment effectiveness with fewer side effects. Clinical
trials at large academic myeloma centers such as The
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center represent
cutting edge therapies. Myeloma clinical trials
are often available at multiple institutions and run
by groups such as the Eastern Cooperative Group (ECOG),
Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), and the Multiple
Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC). |
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| What
happens to people who learn they have multiple myeloma? |
| We accept the reality of our situation. We research the treatments available to us, and carefully consider the options. We fight... with the assistance of skilled medical professionals and the support of our loved ones. We survive... with gratitude and enthusiam. We thrive, we love, we succeed, and we treasure every day. |
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MMORE exists to educate patients and their loved ones as well as and supporting research to find a cure. Please visit our Research Updates page for recent articles published by tsome of the top medical professionals in the field. |
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| For
more information, visit these related websites: |
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The
Ohio State University’s James Cancer Hospital and
Solove Research Institute
(The James) |
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Mayo
Clinic |
|
Winship
Cancer Institute, Emory University |
|
International
Myeloma Foundation (IMF) |
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The
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)
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Multiple
Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) |
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