HealthTree Podcast for Multiple Myeloma

Myeloma stem cells are believed to cause the growth of multiple myeloma. Many myeloma treatments kill the myeloma plasma cells, but according to William Matsui, MD of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, these treatments may not affect the myeloma stem cells. Dr. Matsui recently presented results from a study he did with colleagues at Johns Hopkins testing a new monoclonal antibody with lenalidomide and dex. Just with len/dex, he saw myeloma stem cells increase by 2.5 times, but when the new monoclonal antibody was added, it decreased the myeloma stem cells by half. Learn more about this up and coming new target in clinical trials that can kill myeloma cells at their source.

Melanie House, DPT, NCS of the University of Iowa recently presented at Pat's Myeloma Survival School on physical issues that myeloma patients face before, during and after their treatment. As part of the Muscles for Myeloma series, she will give practical, real-world advice to make life more manageable for patients: How to rebuild strength during and after treatment and how dex and bedrest waste musclesHow to prevent falls and improve balanceHow to manage peripheral neuropathyHow to increase enduranceHow to overcome that "so tired" feeling of fatigue post-treatmentWhat to do about shortness of breathHow to decrease back pain, muscles spasms and nerve pain Thanks to our episode sponsor, Takeda Oncology Thanks also to our Muscles for Myeloma sponsors: Sanofi Genzyme, Takeda Oncology and Celgene Corporation

The multiple myeloma aresenal is growing, giving myeloma experts more tools to combat the complex blood cancer, multiple myeloma. Learn how investigators like Dr. David Siegel, MD, PhD of the John Theurer Cancer Center are vetting treatment combinations using clinical trials to identify optimal treatment paths, especially for patients who are facing relapses or who have become refractory to existing medications.  Thanks to our episode sponsor, Takeda Oncology.

Can we prevent smoldering myeloma or MGUS from progressing to active myeloma? Dr. Irene Ghobrial, MD wonders why we are waiting until progression to treat when we have newer non-toxic therapies to use. Dr. Ghobrial shares her Prevention of Progression Clinic's efforts to keep myeloma at bay. In this show, she shares her open study (observational) that includes all MGUS and smoldering myeloma patients. It's easy to join - just mail her blood and marrow samples when you have your regular testing done and they will keep track of how progression happens and why.

Immunotherapy combinations are just beginning. At the ASH 2015 conference Dr. David Avigan, MD of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center shared his work to use a vaccine with an additional immunotherapy (a PD-1 blocker) and autologous transplant to make the transplant more durable and eliminate minimal residual disease. Learn more about this dendritic cell vaccine, how it works and why the road to immunotherapy will leverage the best available treatments for the best ultimate outcomes.  Thanks to our episode sponsor, Takeda Oncology.

Some treatments for multiple myeloma have been used for over two decades. With all of excitement around new treatments like immunotherapies, how do these two different worlds converge or collide? Learn from Dr. Muzaffar Qazilbash, MD of the MD Anderson Cancer Center about the utility of stem cell transplant in the age of immunotherapy and how these may be used alone or together for optimal outcomes.   Special thanks to our episode sponsor, Takeda Oncology

Multiple myeloma is typically tracked by measuring the M-protein, also called the "M-spike." But in some patients, the M-protein gets lost, making it difficult if not impossible to detect myeloma levels without a bone marrow biopsy. Dr. James R. Berenson, MD of the Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research has been working on a new test (assay) and has found direct correllations between levels of BCMA and the M-spike. He also has identified new clues that BCMA levels can provide related to outcomes within specific patient populations. Learn more in this show about a new and potentially easier way to detect myeloma, which would be incredibly valuable for the non-secretor.  Special thanks to our episode sponsor, Takeda Oncology.

The advances found for multiple myeloma over the past two decades have been extroardinary. Much has been learned, and much has been accomplished with new treatment developments and arguably more discoveries than other cancers in the same time period. The past is impressive for this complex cancer, but there is more work to do. Dr. Ken Anderson helped lead the way for the discovery of new developments over a prestigious career of 40 years. He shares with us a brief look back and what he sees for the road ahead towards a cure. Dr. Anderson is the Kraft Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School as well as Director of the Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics and Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He is a Doris Duke Distinguished Clinical Research Scientist and American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor. After graduating from Johns Hopkins Medical School, he trained in internal medicine at John’s Hopkins Hospital, and then completed hematology, medical oncology, and tumor immunology training at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Over the last three decades, he has focused his laboratory and clinical research studies on multiple myeloma. He has developed laboratory and animal models of the tumor in it is microenvironment which have allowed for both identification of novel targets and validation of novel targeted therapies, and has then rapidly translated these studies to clinical trials culminating in FDA approval of novel targeted therapies. His paradigm for identifying and validating targets in the tumor cell and its milieu has transformed myeloma therapy and markedly improved patient outcome.  Thanks to our episode sponsor, Takeda Oncology

JSK is the first in its class with a new and unique method of killing multiple myeloma. It has a broad-spectrum anti-cancer activity, especially for myeloma and AML (acute myeloid leukemia) but is not toxic for normal cells. The JSK product is running through the standard approval process and is now in an advanced stage of pre-clinical development. Orphan drug designation has been obtained for myeloma and toxicology studies are now in the planning stages. JSK is active against drug-resistant myeloma cells and could be use with bortezomib to treat multiple myeloma. Dr. Paul Shami, MD of the Huntsman Cancer Institute joins us to describe the develoment and use of this new treatment now in development. Thanks to our episode sponsor, Takeda Oncology.

What happened at this year's American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in Orlando Florida? With three new drugs approved just before the start of the conference, there is so much to understand and absorb. Listen to Dr. Orlowski, MD, PhD of the MD Anderson Cancer Center give a simple explanation of the improvements in myeloma and some of his top takeaways in myeloma research.  Special thanks to our episode sponsor, Amgen.