Revlimid, Darzalex and Dex
It’s been ages since I posted, but that’s because there’s been nothing new to report. I recently began treatment with one of the new-ish monoclonal antibodies called Darzalex (daratumumab, aka dara). In addition to Darzalex, I’m taking an older drug that I’ve used before, called Revlimid. Once a week, I take a 20mg dose of […] (Source: beth's myeloma blog)
Source: beth's myeloma blog - January 14, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Beth Tags: Darzalex Dexamethasone Revlimid Source Type: blogs
Revlimid, Darzalex and Dex
It’s been ages since I posted, but that’s because there’s been nothing new to report. I recently began treatment with one of the new-ish monoclonal antibodies called Darzalex (daratumumab, aka dara). In addition to Darzalex, I’m taking an older drug that I’ve used before, called Revlimid. Once a week, I take a 20mg dose of ... (Source: beth's myeloma blog)
Source: beth's myeloma blog - January 14, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Beth Tags: Darzalex Dexamethasone Revlimid Source Type: blogs
CMS Releases New Prescription Drug Cost Data
On August 18, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released new prescription drug data, physician-level data on prescriptions for drugs paid for by Medicare Part D in 2014. This new data set “describes the specific medications prescribed for 38 million Medicare Part D enrollees, who represent about 70 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries.” This is the second annual release of the data.
According to Niall Brennan, CMS Chief Data Officer, “With this data release, patients, researchers and providers can access valuable information about the Medicare prescription drug program. Today’s release jo...
Source: Policy and Medicine - September 1, 2016 Category: American Health Authors: Thomas Sullivan - Policy & Medicine Writing Staff Source Type: blogs
Review of ICER Report on Treatment Options for Multiple Myeloma
Who is ICER?
ICER is the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review. As far as I can tell, it is funded primarily by insurance companies and by nonprofit organizations who, in turn, are funded by insurance companies. They claim some funding by the federal government as well. Other members include pharmaceutical companies who apparently participate in order to have some voice in ICER's proceedings. A quick Google search shows that the title of many of ICER's documents is "Building Trust through Rationing," which I believe is their mantra and suggests that rationing health care is their real purpose....
Source: Myeloma Hope - June 12, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: ICER myeloma report Source Type: blogs
Review of ICER Report on Treatment Options for Multiple Myeloma
Who is ICER?
ICER is the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review. As far as I can tell, it is funded primarily by insurance companies and by nonprofit organizations who, in turn, are funded by insurance companies. They claim some funding by the federal government as well. Other members include pharmaceutical companies who apparently participate in order to have some voice in ICER ' s proceedings. A quick Google search shows that the title of many of ICER ' s documents is " Building Trust through Rationing, " which I believe is their mantra and suggests that rationing health care is their real purpose...
Source: Myeloma Hope - June 12, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: ICER myeloma report Source Type: blogs
The Study Is Over
For me. Sad to say, because this treatment was the easiest I ' ve ever been on, and it has worked well for other people (with other blood cancers). Yesterday ' s blood tests and PET/CT show progression of the myeloma, however, and after 13 weeks (a quarter of a year!) it certainly should be heading the other way.
According to Dr WG the PET/CT does not show any new lesions in my bones, which probably means that the study treatment was doing some good. However, it does show increased activity in the existing lesions. For a while we wondered if that increasing activity was " flare, " caused by my own immun...
Source: Myeloma Hope - March 10, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: blogs
The Study Is Over
For me. Sad to say, because this treatment was the easiest I've ever been on, and it has worked well for other people (with other blood cancers). Yesterday's blood tests and PET/CT show progression of the myeloma, however, and after 13 weeks (a quarter of a year!) it certainly should be heading the other way.
According to Dr WG the PET/CT does not show any new lesions in my bones, which probably means that the study treatment was doing some good. However, it does show increased activity in the existing lesions. For a while we wondered if that increasing activity was "flare," caused by my own immune...
Source: Myeloma Hope - March 10, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: blogs
Lots More Whining
Just can't get enough of it!
Last Wednesday's visit to Mayo Clinic marked the end of the every-week 200-mile round trips, but the results didn't shed much light on my medical condition. Is the "flare" in my vertebrae due to the myeloma itself, or is it inflammation caused by my immune system attacking the myeloma? We're hoping for the latter, of course, and sticking with the current medication study, but this does require more than a little faith.
Here is the whining:
Last night I was quite uncomfortable for much of the night. The neuropathic pain on the right side of my back became much wo...
Source: Myeloma Hope - February 20, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: blogs
Lots More Whining
Just can ' t get enough of it!Last Wednesday ' s visit to Mayo Clinic marked the end of the every-week 200-mile round trips, but the results didn ' t shed much light on my medical condition. Is the " flare " in my vertebrae due to the myeloma itself, or is it inflammation caused by my immune system attacking the myeloma? We ' re hoping for the latter, of course, and sticking with the current medication study, but this does require more than a little faith.Here is the whining: Last night I was quite uncomfortable for much of the night. The neuropathic pain on the right side of my back became much w...
Source: Myeloma Hope - February 20, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: blogs
Some News Might be Good News
Tuesday night I felt a little back pain while in bed, unusual for me. As it happened, we had already scheduled an MRI at Mayo Clinic for the very next day to look at the nearby vertebrae, numbers T5, T9, and T11, and compare that with MRI images from last October. Doctor WG called last night to talk about those results:
Neither the doctor nor the the radiologist can see any significant damage to the bones of those vertebrae. That is very good news.
However, we still don't know for sure whether the PET scan hot spots are due to increased tumor burden or to inflammation ("flare") caused by my own immune s...
Source: Myeloma Hope - February 12, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: blogs
Some News Might be Good News
Tuesday night I felt a little back pain while in bed, unusual for me. As it happened, we had already scheduled an MRI at Mayo Clinic for the very next day to look at the nearby vertebrae, numbers T5, T9, and T11, and compare that with MRI images from last October. Doctor WG called last night to talk about those results:Neither the doctor nor the the radiologist can see any significant damage to the bones of those vertebrae. That is very good news.However, we still don ' t know for sure whether the PET scan hot spots are due to increased tumor burden or to inflammation ( " flare " ) caused by my own immune sy...
Source: Myeloma Hope - February 12, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: blogs
DM / DNB Cardiology Entrance Mock Test 4
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Source: Cardiophile MD - January 18, 2016 Category: Cardiology Authors: Prof. Dr. Johnson Francis, MD, DM, FACC, FRCP Edin, FRCP London Tags: Cardiology MCQ DM / DNB Cardiology Entrance Featured Source Type: blogs
Venous thromboembolism in cancer – Cardiology MCQ
Which of the following cancer has the highest relative risk of venous thromboembolism?
a) Pancreatic cancer
b) Brain cancer
c) Multiple myeloma
d) Colonic cancer
Correct answer: c) Multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma has forty six fold risk of venous thromboembolism than healthy controls while brain cancer has twenty fold and pancreatic cancer sixteen fold relative risk. But by absolute numbers, most episodes occur with lung, colon and prostate cancer [1]. Chemotherapy confers six fold extra risk though chemotherapy per se is not considered an indication for prophylactic anticoagulation in ambulatory patients, the exceptio...
Source: Cardiophile MD - June 2, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Prof. Dr. Johnson Francis, MD, DM, FACC, FRCP Edin, FRCP London Tags: Cardiology MCQ DM / DNB Cardiology Entrance Source Type: blogs
A Look at the Current State of Drug Treatments for Amyloidosis
We report here treatment with lenalidomide-dexamethasone in 84 AL amyloidosis patients with relapsed/refractory clonal disease following prior treatment with thalidomide (76%) and/or bortezomib (68%).
On an intention-to-treat (ITT) basis, the overall haematological response rate was 61%, including 20% complete responses. The median overall survival (OS) has not been reached; 2-year OS and progression-free survival (PFS) was 84% and 73%, respectively. Achieving a free light chain (FLC) response was an independent good prognostic factor for OS in multivariate analysis. There was no impact of prior thalidomide or bortezomib...
Source: Fight Aging! - October 7, 2014 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs
Public Disclosure Bar Blocks Recovery in Stryker False Claims Act Case
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit rejected a whistleblower suit against Stryker Corp. and other pain pump manufacturers because the allegations were based on information that had already been made public. The Court upheld the District Court in ruling that the plaintiff failed to pass the “public disclosure bar” necessary for whistleblowers to recover under the False Claims Act (FCA). Whistleblowers are able to share in the government's recovery when they are integral to the discovery of the fraud.
The Eighth Circuit referenced a frequently cited quote in its opinion, which describes the public dis...
Source: Policy and Medicine - September 16, 2014 Category: American Health Authors: Thomas Sullivan Source Type: blogs
