A Step Towards Precision Medicine

Submitted by blackswan on Thu, 03/22/2018 - 21:10

The IMF is very pleased to have established a partnership with AbbVie to conduct the largest, most comprehensive chart-review study of myeloma patients with the t(11;14) translocation evident on FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) testing of bone marrow myeloma cells. This landmark retrospective analysis assesses the 16-to-24-percent of myeloma patients harboring the t(11;14) translocation. The presence or absence of other mutations is also being evaluated to determine the impact of more complex patterns of mutations. A unique aspect of the study is the ability to assess response to a variety of treatments and document lengths of remission and overall outcomes.

 

IMF Launches New Education Initiative

Submitted by blackswan on Fri, 03/16/2018 - 01:07

This week, the IMF is launching a new initiative to provide current recommendations for myeloma management for the busy physicians, pharmacists, and nurses who are on the frontlines of providing patient care. The impetus for the initiative is the recognition that community health care providers need, and value, up-to-date expert recommendations delivered in convenient formats over a variety of platforms—video, online, in print, and in person.

How the DNA sequence of a rare bird can give us hope

Submitted by blackswan on Thu, 03/08/2018 - 13:30

Budget cuts to programs aimed at protecting people from toxic exposure, investigating climate change, and accelerating scientific discoveries continue to raise concerns. Fortunately, there are also some amazing scientific developments on the horizon that should make us all hopeful. But first, the bad news, because it’s important to keep on top of issues that impact our lives.

What Myeloma Patients Should Put in Their Grocery Baskets in 2018

Submitted by blackswan on Fri, 02/23/2018 - 04:07

Food is very much in the news this week. Friend and colleague Prof. Heinz Ludwig (International Myeloma Working Group and IMF Board of Directors member), called my attention to two food news reports: a review linking a higher fish intake to a lower risk of cancer, and a meta-analysis of five studies showing a consistent connection between higher fish consumption and a lower likelihood of myeloma. The latter analysis captured data from North America, Europe, and Asia demonstrating a similar trend, which lends credibility to the findings.

As Federally Funded Medical Research Decreases in the US, Chinese Biotech Surges 500 Percent

Submitted by blackswan on Fri, 02/16/2018 - 05:35

A recent publication by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) emphasized the traditional key role of US investment in cancer research. However, they also noted both a 75-percent drop in the number of fully-funded National Institutes of Health (NIH) studies presented at the ASCO Annual Meetings from 2008 to 2017, and a serious drop in the number of new NIH proposals funded—from 27 percent in 2001 to just 12 percent in 2015.

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