Reflecting back on what we saw and heard at ASH 15, IMF support group leaders (SGLs) left Orlando with great hope for success against myeloma. Three new drug approvals in the two weeks preceding ASH were the talk of the meeting. Direct attack on myeloma cells by monoclonal antibodies gives us a new weapon with […]
New Pathways and Approaches for MM Treatment
At ASH, I always look for new ideas and approaches for treating myeloma. What is new? What is coming, and what is close to being clinically useful for patients? Every drug has its start in pre-clinical testing (cell lines), moves on to animal testing, and then makes the move to phase I safety and dosage […]
Getting Closer to CURE . . . Minimal Residual Disease (MRD)
Myeloma treatment has changed dramatically since my diagnosis 18 years ago. Prior to 2000, complete response (CR) used to be defined as a 75% reduction in M-protein, and stringent complete response (sCR) was a non-issue because it just didn’t happen. Now, however, therapies often take us beyond sCR to amazingly low levels of only one […]
Anticipating the Power and Importance of ASH15
ASH (American Society of Hematology) 57th Annual Meeting and Exposition brings together the brightest minds in hematology to share new knowledge, ideas, and trial results. Because topics and revelations at ASH affect literally hundreds of thousands of patients around the world, the importance of this yearly event cannot be overstated. To give ASH proper perspective, […]