Multiple myeloma: charging toward a bright future. CA Cancer J Clin 2007;57(5):301-18
Date
09/15/2007Pubmed ID
17855486DOI
10.3322/CA.57.5.301Scopus ID
2-s2.0-35448934091 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 91 CitationsAbstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable clonal B-cell malignancy with terminally differentiated plasma cells. It afflicts approximately 55,000 people in the United States. Over the past 5 years, significant progress has been made in the diagnosis and assessment of patients with MM. Significant advances include a simplified staging system, which has replaced the more cumbersome Durie-Salmon staging system; an updated uniform international response criteria; the development of a sensitive new serum test to detect free light chain production (free light chain assay); the recognition of specific adverse cytogenetic abnormalities; and the evolution of genomics, which will identify specific and targeted therapies for individual MM patients. For the first time in decades, major therapeutic advances have been implemented in the treatment of MM patients. These include 2 new classes of agent: immunomodulatory drugs and proteosome inhibitors. In addition, clinical trials have solidified the role of hematopoietic stem cell transplant and established the benefits of post-transplant maintenance therapy. Finally, a number of new agents are in development that specifically target the myeloma cells and/or the bone marrow microenvironment. These advances have resulted in expanded treatment options, prolonged disease control and survival, and improved quality of life for patients with MM.
Author List
Katzel JA, Hari P, Vesole DHAuthor
Parameswaran Hari MD Adjunct Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AlgorithmsAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
Boronic Acids
Bortezomib
Forecasting
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Humans
Immunosuppressive Agents
Multiple Myeloma
Neoplasm Staging
Prognosis
Pyrazines
Quality of Life
Survival Analysis
Thalidomide
Transplantation, Homologous
United States