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Welcome to MyelomaLinks,
your monthly source of myeloma news,
research updates, clinical trials
and events of The Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society (LLS). For even more information,
regularly visit our Patient
Services and Disease
Information Web
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LLS
Features
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Research
Roundup ::READ MORE::
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IRC Question of
the Month
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MORE::
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Inspirational
Stories
 Learn
how individuals touched by blood cancer
cope. LLS's LifeMosaic
Web feature offers hundreds of
inspiring stories by patients and families. Read
them or submit
your own.
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Here to
Help
Visit the LLS
Web site www.LLS.org regularly for even more information.
Many of our education programs are archived free
of charge for convenient access 24/7.
If
you haven't found what you're looking for in
MyelomaLinks , please call our
Information Resource Center (IRC) to speak with
trained information specialists. IRC staff are
available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6
p.m. ET, toll free at (800) 955-4572; email
infocenter@lls.org; or click the "Live Patient Help" button
on the www.LLS.org homepage.
Please consider
a tax-deductible gift to LLS. Donate
online today and help us make
a difference in the lives of patients and their
families.
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Commentary
Deborah Banker, Ph.D., reports
on talks at a recent cancer research
meeting.
Clinical Trials
We invite you to
use our LLS-supported
TrialCheck® Web site
, a clinical trial search service that
offers patients and caregivers immediate access
to listings of all myeloma clinical trials.
Answer just a few simple questions and a list of
available clinical trials related to your cancer
will appear in an easy-to-read list of search
results.
You may also want to
visit the National Cancer Institute's Cancer
Trials Support Unit, providing resources
and information on Phase III cancer treatment
trials supported by the National Cancer
Institute. ::SELECTED TRIALS::
Newsfeeds &
Podcasts
Now
you can get RSS Feeds and Podcasts from LLS.
:: CLICK HERE TO SIGN
UP::
Free
eNewsletters
Free LLS
eNewsletters deliver the latest information on
research and treatment options, patient services
programs and fundraising events.
::CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
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Emerging
Therapies in Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma
Register now for this free telephone
education program on Tuesday, June 16, noon -
1:30 p.m. ET. The guest speakers are Gail J.
Roboz, MD and John P. Leonard, MD both from
Weill Medical College of Cornell University/New
York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY and
Robert Z. Orlowski, MD, PhD from The University
of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston,
TX.
My
Personal Clinical Trials
Journey
Participate in this personalized
and interactive program that follows the stories
and experiences of three cancer survivors who
have participated in clinical trials.
Co-Pay
Assistance Program
Patients with myeloma
who have difficulty paying for or simply cannot
afford their prescription drug co-pays or health
insurance premiums can now apply for up to
$5,000 in assistance from LLS.
Archived
Educational Events
Experience archived
teleconferences and Webcasts free of charge,
anytime. Also, the opportunity to download the
audio file, read the written transcript or
listen online to the recent program
Milestones in Myeloma Therapy: An Update
from the American Society of Hematology (ASH)
Annual Meeting are now available on the LLS
Web site.
LLS
Advocacy
LLS's advocacy team represents
the needs of cancer patients and their
families in Washington, DC and state
capitals throughout the United States. We need
your help. Join our
Advocates Network and make your
voice
heard.
Take Action: Urge
Congress to Co-Sponsor Access to Cancer Clinical
Trials
Patient Services
Survey
Please give us
your feedback by completing LLS Disease
& Treatment Publications - Survey for
Patients, Family and Friends.
LLS
Blog
Showcase your
support:
- Read leukemia survivor, Debbie
Gill's book, Living
a Miracle, and be inspired by her
battle. All proceeds from the sale of this book
benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
is committed to curing blood cancers and helping
patients and their families. Learn
the many ways you can help advance
LLS's mission.
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Combining Milatuzumab with Bortezomib,
Doxorubicin, or Dexamethasone improves responses
in multiple myeloma cell lines. ::READ
MORE::
Whole-Body MRI versus PET in assessment of
multiple myeloma disease activity. ::READ
MORE::
Nonmyeloablative allografting for newly
diagnosed multiple myeloma: the experience of
the Gruppo Italiano Trapianti di
Midollo. ::READ
MORE::
Plerixafor and G-CSF versus placebo and G-CSF
to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells for
autologous stem cell transplantation in patients
with multiple myeloma. ::READ
MORE::
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Selected
Trials
UARK 2008-01, Total Therapy 4 - A Phase III
Trial for Low Risk Myeloma (TT4) ::READ
MORE::
Phase III: Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone
With or Without Bortezomib in Treating Patients
with Previously Untreated Multiple Myeloma
::READ
MORE::
Randomized Phase 3b Study in Previously
Untreated Multiple Myeloma Patients: VELCADE,
Thalidomide, and Dexamethasone Versus VELCADE
and Dexamethasone Versus VELCADE, Melphalan, and
Prednisone (UPFRONT) ::READ
MORE::
Phase 2 Study of Carfilzomib in Relapsed and
Refractory Multiple Myeloma ::READ
MORE::
Phase II Study of Revlimid®, Oral
Cyclophosphamide and Prednisone for Patients
with Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma
::READ
MORE::
> Back to the top
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IRC Question of
the Month: Pain Management
Issues
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Q: My
dad told me that he has chosen to take part in a
clinical trial for his myeloma treatment.
Are clinical trials
safe?
A: U.S.
cancer clinical trials are carefully designed
and monitored to give participants such as your
dad the safest, and potentially most effective,
treatment outcomes. All trials follow strict
scientific and ethical guidelines. Every
clinical trial has an action plan, called a
"protocol." Whether a cancer clinical trial
takes place at just a few locations or at sites
across the U.S., the same protocol is used by
every doctor at each treatment center taking
part in the trial.
A cancer clinical
trial is divided into four phases. Healthcare
providers carefully check patient safety in all
phases of a trial. In phase 1 trials, a
treatment is tested in a very small group of
patients to establish safety and dose. In phase
2 trials, treatment is tested in a larger group
of patients to establish whether and how well
the treatment works. Phase 3 trials compare a
"treatment group" (large numbers of patients who
receive the "study" treatment) to a "control
group" (large numbers of patients who are being
treated with the best standard treatment). For
treatments that have already been approved by
the FDA following phase 3 trials, phase 4
studies are often done to gather more
information.
Advances in treatment
for myeloma depend on clinical trials. So,
being treated in a clinical trial also means
that your dad will participate in a research
study to improve the care and treatment of
people with cancer. Here are 10 important
questions for people to ask their doctors about
whether treatment in a specific clinical trial
is right for
them:
1. What is the
purpose of this clinical trial and why do you
think it may be effective for me?
2. How is
the "study" treatment different from the best
standard treatment available to me?
3. What
are the expected benefits and risks of the
"study" treatment versus the standard treatment?
4. Who will be in charge of my care?
5.
Where will I be treated?
6. How do I know
whether my insurance will cover the costs of the
clinical trial? Will I have to pay for
any part of the trial
such as tests or the study drug?
7. Can I
talk to other people in the study?
8. How
long will I be treated in the study?
9. How
and when will I know if my treatment is or isn't
working?
10. If the study treatment is not
effective for me, how will this affect my other
treatment
options?
People who decide to
consider participating in a trial will have more
opportunity to gather information. The "informed
consent" process gives potential participants a
chance to ask more questions, to read over
written information at home, and to discuss it
further with their doctors, families and other
trusted advisors. People who need the
services of a language interpreter may request
one.
The Information
Resource Center (IRC) staff is skilled in
providing assistance to people considering
clinical trial options. You may reach the IRC by
calling (800) 955-4572, using Live
Help or by sending an email.
Visitors to the LLS Web site can find clinical
trials near them through the LLS-supported TrialCheck®
Web site, a clinical trial search service that
provides access to blood cancer clinical trials
listings.
For more information
view, print or order the free LLS booklet Understanding
Clinical Trials for Blood Cancers, see the
Web page Making
Treatment Decisions and participate in the
interactive Web video My
Clinical Trials Journey on the LLS
Web
site.
Please call our
Information Resource Center (IRC) to speak with
a trained information specialist. IRC staff are
available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6
p.m. ET, toll free at (800) 955-4572. Contact
us online or click the "Live
Patient Help" button on the www.LLS.org
homepage.
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Contact Us: The
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 1311 Mamaroneck
Ave., White Plains, NY 10605, (800)
955-4572
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