HealthTree Podcast for Multiple Myeloma

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

Multiple myeloma treatment can cause "financial toxicity" for patients who are trying to pay for care that will give them optimal outcomes. Diahanna Valentine joins the Myeloma Crowd to discuss financial resources that are available to myeloma patients in this informative. show.  Diahanna is Owner and Founder of Critical Care Financial Consulting, LLC which takes a holistic approach to managing your finances in the face of a critical or chronic illness. She is an 18+ year Financial Advisor, providing Holistic planning for individuals and businesses and has 9+ years as a project Manager in Healthcare Services, Construction and the Investment Industries. Diahanna has a BA in Political Science and is HIPPA Certified. She also received her training as an Oncology Financial Patient Advocate from George Washington University. Diahanna is Licensed as a Health and Life Agent and is also maintains her Series 7 Investment Brokers License as well as the 63, and 66. Until recently, Diahanna was the Board President of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of KY and Southern Indiana. From 2015 until July 2017. Diahanna became intimately interested in financial planning for the critically and chronically ill after her husband was diagnosed with MGUS in 2002 then myeloma in 2005. Diahanna lives in Louisville, Kentucky and has two sons and 1 granddaughter. Thanks to our episode sponsor, Takeda Oncology.

Myeloma patients can't wait until blood-based "liquid biopsies" replace the dreaded bone marrow biopsy. Painful and intrusive, the bone marrow biopsy is today's "standard" of myeloma testing to determine levels of myeloma disease burden in patients. These biopsies need to be performed at diagnosis, relapse and repeated every so often to determine response to treatment. Researchers at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Harvard School of Medicine are creating a blood-based test that could provide easier measurements of disease burden. This would lighten the load for myeloma patients while still giving the needed information to measure disease progression and response to therapy. Learn more in this compelling show.

Sugar molecules could act as a smoke screen for multiple myeloma cells, essentially hiding them from the immune system.  The surface sugars, called sialic acids, can mark the cancer cells as “self” cells, giving the immune system the signal to ignore them.  Dr. Michael O'Dwyer is Director of the Blood Cancer Network Ireland and Professor of Hematology at the National University of Ireland Galway. Dr. O'Dwyer has expertise in the glycosylation process as it relates to multiple myeloma. The glycosylation process (or the reaction when carbohydrates is attached to other molecules) is a process that produces DNA, RNA and proteins. This normal process is altered in multiple myeloma and could cause changes in cell signaling, adhesion and drug resistance. In this show we will explore how this affects multiple myeloma, if food intake is related to the presence of sugar molecules and how it is tested for in myeloma. In 2015, Dr. O'Dwyer received a Clinician Scientist Award worth €1.7m from the Health Research Board to establish a translational research programme in multiple myeloma at NUI Galway. This helped lead to the Blood Cancer Network, Ireland, a Science Foundation Ireland/Irish Cancer Society funded network focusing on delivery of early phase clinical trials to blood cancer patients along with establishment of a biobank and registry.  Thanks to our episode sponsor, Takeda Oncology

The recent meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the European Hematology Association (EHA) occurred recently in May and June. There are a wealth of updates on up-and-coming therapies, use of combinations to improve outcomes, strategies to reduce side effects and much more from myeloma specialists across the world.  Dr. Sagar Lonial will join us to share an overview of the major themes in myeloma advances from his leading-edge perspective. Dr. Sagar Lonial is an  internationally recognized as a leading authority in multiple myeloma treatment and research. A Board certified hematologist and medical oncologist, Dr. Lonial staffs and works both on the transplant service as well as in the B-cell malignancy clinic. Dr. Lonial is involved in numerous professional organizations including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology, and the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. He serves as Vice Chair of the Myeloma Committee in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and as Chair of the Steering Committee for the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium. Additionally, he is on the board of directors for the International Myeloma Society, and on the scientific Advisory Board for the International Myeloma Foundation. He is a member of the Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. Thanks to our episode sponsor, Takeda Oncology.

Many patients are familiar with the monoclonal antibodies daratumumab and elotuzumab. These target a specific protein on the surface of myeloma cells. A new approach is in progress to target both a protein on the surface of myeloma cells (BCMA) while also activating the immune system's T cells. This is called a bi-specific antibody, going after two targets at the same time. Join us to learn more about this fascinating approach from German researchers Anja Seckinger, MD and Dirk Hose, MD of the University of Heidelberg. This could provide an off-the-shelf immunotherapy for myeloma patients that gives myeloma a double punch.  Special thanks to our episode sponsor, Takeda Oncology.

Can the genetics of myeloma or other clinical factors predict who will progress from early conditions like MGUS and smoldering myeloma to active myeloma? Dr. Elisabet Manasanch of the MD Anderson Cancer Center is hosting a study in partnership with Signal Genetics/Quest to determine what is meaninfgul (or not) in determining who is most likely to progress and is thus most likely to receive treatment. Dr. Manasanch is also studying the new monoclonal antibody Isatuximab in a clinical trial for high-risk smoldering myeloma patients. The road to a cure may be earlier treatment in these precursor conditions while the disease is not as complex or aggressive. Learn more about this fascinating work to prevent myeloma from happening in the first place.