MULTIPLE MYELOMA

In the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), following decades of little progress, the last 10 years have been characterized by more clinical advancements than for any other cancer.

C. Ola Landgren, MD, PhD, a senior investigator in the Multiple Myeloma Section of the National Cancer Institute, discusses the treatment of older patients (over age 70) with multiple myeloma.

More than two dozen abstracts at the December 2013 meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) focused on the detection, measurement, or monitoring of MRD in patients with multiple myeloma.

In most malignancies, early detection and intervention are prerequisites for a possible cure. Consequently, why is the standard of care for myeloma a watch-and-wait approach, with no treatment until progression?

Screening for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) significantly cuts the death rate from prostate cancer, but at the same time, America’s medical community should work harder to avoid the screen’s potential pitfalls.

Jacob Laubach, MD, MPP, from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an Instructor in Medicine at the Harvard Medical School, discusses daratumumab as a potential treatment option for patients with multiple myeloma.

Brian G.M. Durie, MD, chairman, International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), hematologist/oncologist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, discusses results from a phase III trial that compared lenalidomide (Revlimid) plus dexamethasone versus the standard treatment of melphalan plus prednisone and thalidomide (MPT) in patients with multiple myeloma who are over 65 years old. Durie offers his thoughts regarding the impact of this trial.

Brian G.M. Durie, MD, chairman, International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), hematologist/oncologist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, discusses the Black Swan Research Initiative® of the IMF and a paradigm shift in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

María-Victoria Mateos, MD, PhD, from the University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain, discusses the design and results of a phase II trial that she presented at the 2013 American Society of Hematology Meeting.

According to data presented at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology in New Orleans, a first-in-class targeted agent demonstrated activity in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma.

Shaji K. Kumar, MD, discusses the results of a phase II trial of single agent MLN9708 in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma not refractory to bortezomib.

In patients with transplant-ineligible NDMM, the combination of continuous lenalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone (continuous Rd) extends PFS and trends toward improving OS compared with the standard combination of MPT.

CRs were seen in a group of high-risk patients following intervention in early or “smoldering” myeloma with a three-drug regimen, suggesting a window of opportunity that may delay or prevent progression to a debilitating disease state.

James R. Berenson, MD, discusses a study presented at the 2013 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Meeting that looked at arming an anti-CD38, myeloma-targeting antibody with interferon.

In an updated analysis of the phase III MM-003 trial, Celgene International Sarl, the makers of pomalidomide, reported on a new progression-free survival (PFS) analysis and final overall survival (OS) in September 2013.

Phase III trials in multiple myeloma, including plitidepsin, elotuzumab, carfilzomib, masitinib, and panobinostat.

With the arrival and incorporation into clinical practice of immunomodulatory drugs and proteasome inhibitor therapy, patients with multiple myeloma patients are achieving deep, durable responses and disease control, and are living longer

Manish Sharma, MD, from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson, comments on the use of pomalidomide in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Oral proteasome inhibitor to be studied in phase III trials, identifying new targets, pomalidomide for relapsed/refractory MM, early stage data for daratumumab, and updated phase I and II results for elotuzumab in multiple myeloma.

At the 18th Annual Conference of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), experts presented the latest updates to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

A phase III study of Revlimid in combination with dexamethasone in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma met its primary endpoint of PFS.

The recent approval of the second-generation proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib by the FDA comes nine years after the initial approval of bortezomib, the first-in-class drug of its type.

Philip L. McCarthy, MD, Director, Blood & Marrow Transplant Program, Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, comments on the move from doublet therapy to triplet therapy for multiple myeloma.

Ola Landgren, MD, PhD, Head, Multiple Myeloma Section, National Cancer Institute, discusses the standard of care for patients with high-risk smoldering myeloma.

Sundar Jagannath, MD, Director, Multiple Myeloma Program, The Tisch Cancer Institute at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, discusses the use of pomalidomide in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Two studies presented at the 54th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition, highlighted the possible use of panobinostat in combination with proteasome inhibitors for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Meletios A. Dimopoulos, MD, Alexandra Hospital, Athens, Greece, explains a phase III study that analyzed pomalidomide in combination with low-dose dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

The combination of pomalidomide and a steroid significantly improved outcomes for patients with multiple myeloma, marking what researchers say is a notable advancement for a sizable proportion of those treated for the disease.