Palliative care for adults: strong opioids for pain relief (CG140)
Pain is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of progressive myeloma. This guidance written by NICE outlines safe use of opioids for adults with advanced disease.
Study reveals prevalence of symptoms in myeloma patients
A Myeloma UK funded study, published recently in the European Journal of Haematology, has found that a large number of symptoms occur frequently in myeloma patients, highlighting the importance of routine assessments throughout the disease trajectory in order to achieve optimal quality of life for patients. Led by Christina Ramsenthaler and Prof Irene Higginson, Department of…
General
Is Maintenance Therapy for Everyone? Nooka AK et al. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2016 Aug;16 Suppl:S139-44. doi: 10.1016/j.clml.2016.02.011. How to Think About Risk in Myeloma. Krishnan A. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2016 Aug;16 Suppl:S135-8. doi: 10.1016/j.clml.2016.02.015. Clonal Evolution in Multiple Myeloma. Fakhri B et al. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2016 Aug;16 Suppl:S130-4. doi: 10.1016/j.clml.2016.02.025. Concise review: Treatment of multiple myeloma in the very elderly: How do novel agents fit in? Kint N et al. J…
Supportive care
Cost-effectiveness analysis of low-molecular-weight heparin versus aspirin thromboprophylaxis in patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Chalayer E et al. Thromb Res. 2016 Aug 10;145:119-125. doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2016.08.008. [Epub ahead of print]. Cryotherapy reduces oral mucositis and febrile episodes in myeloma patients treated with high-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplant: a prospective, randomized study. Marchesi F et al. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2016 Aug 15. doi:…
Complications of myeloma and its treatments
Chemotherapy treatment of multiple myeloma patients increases circulating levels of endothelial microvesicles. Hall J et al. Thromb Res. 2016 Aug 17;146:20-22. doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2016.08.017. [Epub ahead of print]. Diarrhea in Multiple Myeloma: A Review of the Literature. Faiman B et al. Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2016 Aug 1;20(4):E100-5. doi: 10.1188/16.CJON.E100-E105. Secondary malignancies in patients with multiple myeloma, Waldenström macroglobulinemia and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Castillo…
Current treatments
The impact of induction regimen on transplant outcome in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma in the era of novel agents. Chakraborty R et al. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2016 Aug 22. doi: 10.1038/bmt.2016.214. [Epub ahead of print]. Plerixafor for autologous stem-cell mobilization and transplantation for patients in Ontario. Kouroukis CT et al. Curr Oncol. 2016 Aug;23(4):e409-30. doi: 10.3747/co.23.3137. Epub 2016 Aug 12. Mobilization of autologous…
Revamped Cancer Drugs Fund launched in England
A revised Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) together with wider changes in the way the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) assesses cancer drugs has recently been launched. Developed through a partnership between National Health Service (NHS) England and NICE, the new CDF allows drugs which meet set criteria under a managed access agreement…
IMWG publishes updated consensus criteria for response and MRD in myeloma
The International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) has recently published further consensus criteria for defining disease response in myeloma. Since the original response criteria were set in 2006, newer, more sensitive methods can now quantify myeloma cells as low as 1 in a million. Published in the Lancet Oncology, the updated criteria identify responses beyond complete response…