Emerging treatments
New investigational drugs with single-agent activity in multiple myeloma.
Rajan AM et al. Blood Cancer J. 2016 Jul 29;6(7):e451. doi: 10.1038/bcj.2016.53.
New investigational drugs with single-agent activity in multiple myeloma.
Rajan AM et al. Blood Cancer J. 2016 Jul 29;6(7):e451. doi: 10.1038/bcj.2016.53.
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…
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…
A study published recently in Nature Communications has identified eight new genetic risk loci for myeloma, providing further insights into the genetic and biological basis of its predisposition. The research, performed at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and part funded by Myeloma UK involved a meta-analysis of pooled data from several independent genome-wide association…
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has set out new guidance for the diagnosis, treatment and care of myeloma patients with the aim of providing consistently excellent patient-focused care within NHS England. The new guidance has been created to cover aspects of management where in the past there was uncertainty or variation…
This study shows benefits from zoledronic acid monotherapy in myeloma patients with asymptomatic biochemical relapse and suggests that it should be considered as a new standard of care for this group.
This study provides evidence that high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation performed in the outpatient setting can result in excellent outcomes for selected myeloma patients.
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…
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…
Myeloma UK and the UK Spinal Myeloma Working Group have jointly published a paper on the optimal management of spinal disease in myeloma patients. Published in the British Journal of Haematology, the article provides an overview of the treatment and management options for spinal myeloma disease and highlights the role of defined pathways to enable the…