The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF)—supporting research and providing education, advocacy and support for myeloma patients, families, researchers and physicians—today said survival outcomes have improved dramatically for patients with multiple myeloma, cancer in the bone marrow that affects blood cell production.

A recent study published in American Journal of Hematology demonstrated that Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), a widely used drug to treat anemia, may have a negative impact on the survival of myeloma patients.

Mayo Clinic researchers today presented results of a phase II trial of myeloma induction therapy -- a first step therapy designed to reduce cancer cells numbers -- with cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (Cybor-D) showing an improved response over the traditional lenalidomide-dexamethasone (L-Dex) therapy.

Findings from two large, international clinical trials show “unprecedented” survival for patients with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that occurs in the blood-making cells of bone marrow. The findings demonstrate that with Revlimid®, an oral cancer drug, all measures of myeloma showed significant improvement in patients where previous treatments had failed.

Scientists report that a protein best known as a common marker of inflammation plays a key role in the progression of human cancer. The research, published by Cell Press in the September issue of the journal Cancer Cell, implicates C-reactive protein (CRP) as a potential target for cancer treatment.

Moffitt clinical director part of National Myeloma Forum recommending additional studies that further evaluate new front-line oral Revlimid treatment combinations as an alternative to stem cell transplant in newly diagnosed patients

This clinical study demonstrates that in patients who do not respond to previous chemotherapy procedures, autologous bone-marrow transplantation does not guarantee higher survival rates