Preview of the 9th Annual International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) Summit

Submitted by Dr. Brian Durie on Fri, 06/01/2018 - 03:00

The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) will host the 9th Annual International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) Summit from June 11–13 in Stockholm, Sweden. More than 100 of the world’s top myeloma experts will attend the 2018 Summit, which convenes on the eve of the 23rd Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA), also in Stockholm. Throughout the IMWG Summit, myeloma experts will debate how best to treat patients in 2018 and beyond.

 

Investing in Health Is the Best Way to Achieve Longevity

Submitted by Dr. Brian Durie on Fri, 05/25/2018 - 02:51

For most myeloma patients, the idea of good health and longevity may seem like a distant dream. So, why talk about these things? Because, no matter what diagnosis or challenge we’ve been given, most of us still strive to achieve the best health and the longest life possible. Occasionally, that makes us susceptible to purveyors of magic bullets who promise to deliver good health and extended life, based on questionable science. But the good news is there are some very sound ways to achieve both.

 

ASCO 2018: Helpful Guidance, But No Breakthroughs

Submitted by Dr. Brian Durie on Fri, 05/18/2018 - 02:54

The abstracts for the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting next month have just been released. Among the 7 oral presentations, 62 posters, and educational sessions focusing on multiple myeloma, no dramatic new findings are reported. But there are several important updates and helpful discussions to guide practicing clinicians and inform patients.

 

The IMF Team in Asia: Connecting With Top Myeloma Experts, Collaborating on New Guidelines, Investigating Promising Research

Submitted by Dr. Brian Durie on Fri, 05/11/2018 - 02:52

The IMF team is in Tokyo this week. Susie Durie, Lisa Paik, Dan Navid, and I are here for the 43rd Annual Japanese Myeloma Society Meeting, the oldest of the country-based myeloma meetings globally and one of the most active.

It promises to be a busy week.

The Asia-Pacific region is home to approximately 60 percent of all myeloma patients, so it’s fitting that in the meeting’s keynote lecture, I will address the question we researchers constantly ask: “Can we cure or prevent myeloma?”

 

The Truth About Toxins: New Studies Point to Increased Risk of MGUS in Firefighters Exposed to 9/11 Carcinogens

Submitted by Dr. Brian Durie on Fri, 05/04/2018 - 03:22

A new study shows that New York City firefighters who responded to the Sept. 11, 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attack are twice as likely to develop the myeloma precursor state MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance). Many cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens) were in the air, generated by collapsed skyscrapers, including PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), dioxins, asbestos, diesel smoke, and others. It is therefore not surprising to find an increased risk of cancer among those exposed.

 

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