NICE issues new draft guidelines for end of life care

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued draft guidelines for consultation to improve the care of adults during the last few days of life. The guidelines are meant to replace the Liverpool Care Pathway which were phased out in 2014. Key recommendations highlight the importance of communication and shared decision-making involving…

Publication of revised International Staging System for myeloma

The International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) has revised the International Staging System (ISS) to enable better stratification of newly diagnosed myeloma patients. It now includes the detection of chromosomal abnormalities (CA) by interphase fluorescent in situ hybridisation (iFISH) and the measurement of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) which, when combined with the previous ISS, provides powerful…

Supportive care

Daily postdilutional hemodiafiltration with FX800 polysulfone dialyzers for removing kappa light chains inmultiple myeloma-induced kidney injury. Tillmann FP. Indian J Nephrol. 2015 Jul-Aug;25(4):237-41. doi: 10.4103/0971-4065.158176. Impact of Prophylactic Levofloxacin on Rates of Bloodstream Infection and Fever in Neutropenic Patients withMultiple Myeloma Undergoing Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. Satlin MJ et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2015 Jul 3. pii: S1083-8791(15)00441-3. doi:…

General

Time to redefine Myeloma. Pratt G et al. Br J Haematol. 2015 Jul 27. doi: 10.1111/bjh.13620. [Epub ahead of print]. Outcomes of primary refractory multiple myeloma and the impact of novel therapies. Majithia N et al. Am J Hematol. 2015 Jul 27. doi: 10.1002/ajh.24131. [Epub ahead of print]. Limiting early mortality: Do’s and don’ts in the management of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Gonsalves…

Complications of myeloma and its treatments

Optimizing the management of patients with spinal myeloma disease. Molloy S et al. Br J Haematol. 2015 Jul 17. doi: 10.1111/bjh.13577. [Epub ahead of print]. Measuring therapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: preliminary development and validation of the Treatment-induced Neuropathy Assessment Scale (TNAS). Mendoza TR et al. J Pain. 2015 Jul 22. pii: S1526-5900(15)00763-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2015.07.002. [Epub ahead of print]. High-dose therapy improves the bone remodelling…

Current treatments

Bortezomib, thalidomide and dexamethasone, with or without cyclophosphamide, for patients with previously untreated multiple myeloma: 5-year follow-up. Ludwig H et al. Br J Haematol. 2015 Jul 7. doi: 10.1111/bjh.13582. [Epub ahead of print]. Long-term outcomes for newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma patients treated with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin and bortezomib: final results of CALGB (Alliance) 10301, a multicentre phase II study. Voorhees PM et al. Br…

Supportive care

Safety and efficacy of kyphoplasty in the treatment of tumoral disease of the spine. García-Maroto R et al. Rev Esp Cir Ortop Traumatol. 2015 Jun 19. pii: S1888-4415(15)00058-2. doi: 10.1016/j.recot.2015.05.003. [Epub ahead of print]. Risks and Benefits of Bisphosphonate Therapies. Reyes C er al. J Cell Biochem. 2015 Jun 20. doi: 10.1002/jcb.25266. [Epub ahead of print]. Adherence to analgesics for cancer…