At last year's ASH meeting, there was excitement around a new antibody drug conjugate targeting a protein called BCMA from Glaxo Smith Klein. Results from their Phase I study showed that patients who had relapsed immunomodulators (like Revlimid), proteasome inhibitors (like Velcade) and even monoclonal antibodies (like daratumumab), responded when taking this drug alone (60% response rate). Learn more from Dr. Maria Chaudhry of Ohio State University about current studies using this new drug and when patients could consider it in the course of their treatment.  Thanks to our episode sponsor, Celgene.

The myeloma landscape is rapidly changing with many new advancements. Paul Richardson, MD of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute joins Myeloma Crowd Radio to share recent updates from major summer meetings including the American Society of Clinical Oncology and European Hematology Association meeting and several others.  Thanks to our episode sponsor, Takeda Oncology.

How do multiple myeloma patients get into clinical trials? Especially those using popular new science like CAR T therapy? Brian McMahon, founder of SparkCures shares tips and tricks to get into these trials. Brian is the founder of SparkCures, a multiple myeloma clinical trial finder tool that simplifies the process. Brian shares his experience helping individual myeloma patients join these trials and will share the ins and outs of clinical trial participation. Join us and call in with questions on this practical show that can help you navigate your disease.  Thanks to our episode sponsor, Celgene Corporation

Many multiple myeloma patients can become resistant to an important class of myeloma drugs called proteasome inhibitors. Researchers found that expression of MUC20 could help predict how sensitive or resistant patients would be to proteasome inhibitors and found that MUC20 protein could be potentially impacted by an already FDA-approved drug offered by Amgen.  Learn more from Dr. Muhamad Baljevic of the University of Nebraska Medical Center about how this new drug is being used in a Phase I/II clinical trial to see if patients who have become resistant to carfilzomib can overcome that resistance by adding this new drug to the mix. These new c-MET inhibitors could have broader use in myeloma combinations. Thanks to our episode sponsor, Celgene Corporation.

A new tool for multiple myeloma patients is coming in June! Join us as we discuss the Myeloma Crowd's new initiative called HealthTree with Rafael Fonseca, MD of the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale.  HealthTree will help myeloma patients understand their personally relevant treatment options, find clinical trials, track lab data and help accelerate research towards a cure.   Over 80% of myeloma patients are treated by general oncologists, yet data shows that patients who see myeloma specilists can live 38% longer. This is true because myeloma is a highly complex cancer to treat. HealthTree was designed to help you have better discussions with your doctor about options that may be available to you so you can receive optimal care for your specific situation. The tool also allows patients and researchers to view anonymous long-term data about the collective patient experience, providing new hypotheses about better patient care.  This summer, we will be canvasing the United States and hosting hands-on HealthTree workshops to help myeloma patients learn how to use the tool with one-on-one help. The HealthTree Summer Tour 2018 begins on June 1 in over 50 cities in the United States. Patients are invited to bring laptops and attend the HealthTree workshops where they can receive one-on-one support. Learn more and find city locations on www.myelomacrowd.org/healthtree. Special thanks to our episode sponsor, Takeda Oncology.

Adequate treatment of multiple myeloma at diagnosis is a key issue for patients because their first remission is typically the longest and most durable. Dr. Luciano Costa of the University of Alabama joins Myeloma Crowd Radio to discuss a trial testing some of the best therapies for myeloma up-front: lenalidomide, dexamethasone, carfilzomib and daratumumab followed by a stem cell transplant. The same four drugs will be used after transplant as "consolidation" therapy. The goal is to understand how much treatment could be needed to get patients into a complete remission status where no myeloma is detectable (also called minimal residual disease negative or MRD status). The four drug combination will be used before transplant. If, after the transplant, the patient still has detectable multiple myeloma, they will proceed to a series of consolidation blocks, up to three, consisting of four cycles of the KRdD at specified dosages and time frames. Patients who still show detectable disease will be given more consolidation therapy while those who are MRD negative will stop treatment.  This is a key study because it will help investigators understand when treatment can be stopped and when it should be continued. Learn more about this fascinating study with Dr. Costa on April 16th.  Thanks to our episode sponsor, Celgene Corporation

Natural killer cells are the body's way of eliminating cancerous cells. When a myeloma patient's immune system is too weak, the natural killer cells can't effectively do their job to eliminate myeloma. A study is now being done to test donor natural killer cells in relapsed myeloma patients. The natural killer cells are collected and combined with IL-2 to help them grow and expand. Elotuzumab is used to help the NK cells migrate to the myeloma tumor and has anti-myeloma effect on its own. Learn more about this treatment that could help myeloma patients who are relapsed or refractory to standard myeloma therapies or help them bridge to other therapies like allogenic transplant or future CAR T studies.   Thanks to our episode sponsor, Celgene Corporation.

Allogeneic stem cell transplant was the first ever immunotherapy available for mulitple myeloma patients. Dr. Matsui shares how the Johns Hopkins allo transplant procedure has significantly improved safety concerns. His research is now focused on extending and deepening remissions with a new immunotherapy antibody given with transplant. Dr. Matsui will also share his latest research on precursor myeloma cells (called myeloma stem cells) and how they can be targeted before growing into full blown myeloma.

Dr. Martin Kaiser joins Myeloma Crowd Radio to share more about the latest advances in myeloma treatment in the United Kingdom and how the use of myeloma genomic data with thousands of patients in the UK is furthering new insights in myeloma care.    Thanks to our episode sponsor, SparkCures. SparkCures provides an easy way to find and join multiple myeloma clinical trials.

The year 2018 promises to be an exciting one in multiple myeloma research. Learn what about key findings from the recent ASH conference in addition to what we can look forward to in the coming year. With the explosion of immunotherapy and combination approaches now in the clinic and in clinical trials,  the choices are greatly expanding for myeloma patients. Listen to myeloma expert Robert Z. Orlowski, MD, PhD of the MD Anderson Cancer Center as he reviews the up-and-coming choices for the clinic and those new treatments in clinical trials. Dr. Orlowski is Director of the Myeloma Section, Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Orlowski serves as Chair of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) and is a member of the NCI Steering Committee, the Multiple Myeloma Tissue Bank Steering Committee, the Computerized Provider Order Entry Steering Committee, BMT Committee, and American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Dr. Orlowski is on the Editorial Board of Hematology and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Orlowski has received many awards over a number of years including the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Scholar in Clinical Research, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man of the Year Award, Emil Frei III Award for Excellence in Translational Research from MD Anderson and has received a SPORE grant from the NIH. Find news and information from his daily newspaper, Myeloma Daily or find him on Twitter at @myeloma_doc. Thanks to our episode sponsor, Takeda Oncology