Health related quality of life for multiple myeloma patients according to treatment strategy after autologous stem cell transplant: a cross-sectional study using EORTC, EQ-5D and MY-20 scales.

Maintenance (MT) may be prescribed after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) but there are often concerns about the impact on quality of life (QoL). QoL was compared between baseline patients (30-100 days post-ASCT and had not commenced MT); MT patients (>100 days post-ASCT and receiving MT), and no MT (>100 days post-ASCT and not receiving MT). Patients completed the EuroQoL five dimension (EQ-5D), the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), and the QoL Questionnaire Myeloma 20 module (QLQ-MY20).

Cardiac Amyloidosis Phenotype Associated With a Glu89Lys Transthyretin Mutation.

We report a 45-year-old man with rapidly progressive cardiac amyloidosis, who required heart transplantation within 2 years of symptomatic onset. Hematologic testing and initial tissue biopsy results confirmed amyloid infiltration but were inconclusive for the amyloidogenic protein source. Mass spectroscopy and transthyretin (TTR) sequencing were required to reach a diagnosis of TTR amyloidosis resulting from a Glu89Lys mutation.

Pomalidomide.

This spotlight review focuses on the second-generation immunomodulatory drug pomalidomide, which was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This drug was approved for patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least 2 prior therapies, including lenalidomide and bortezomib, and have demonstrated disease progression on or within 60 days of completion of the last therapy. This review focuses on the clinical trial data that led to approval and provides advice for treating physicians who are now prescribing this drug for patients.

Implications of continued response after autologous stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma.

Patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for multiple myeloma (MM) undergo disease assessment approximately 100 days later. Some patients continue to have a decline in their serum or urine monoclonal protein after day 100 in the absence of additional therapy. We evaluated 430 MM patients who underwent ASCT within 12 months of their diagnosis and had not achieved a complete remission at day 100.

Pomalidomide and its clinical potential for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma: an update for the hematologist.

Multiple myeloma is a common plasma cell neoplasm that is incurable with conventional therapy. The treatment paradigm of multiple myeloma is not standardized and is evolving. The advent of novel drugs, including the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib and the immunomodulatory agents, has resulted in increased median survival.