Smoldering myeloma results presented at meeting Los Angeles
C.i will also be a hematologist of the ‘Myelomas’ team of the Romagna Institute for the study of tumors (Irst) ‘Dino Amadori’ Irccs among the protagonists of the XIX annual meeting of the International myeloma society (Ims), in Los Angeles, among the most important events worldwide dedicated to multiple myeloma.
It will be Claudio Cerchione, on August 26th, to give a masterful lecture, as an expert on ‘smoldering’ myeloma, a specific stage of the disease that anticipates the malignant phase. The expert is also president and founder of the ‘Society of hematologic oncology Italy (Soho Italy) and is the ambassador to Italy of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, USA.
Among the pathologies oncohematological – remember a note – multiple myeloma is the one that is benefiting most from new diagnostic-therapeutic approaches; promising results, in particular, obtained thanks to the efforts that medical research is making to hinder the evolution of the disease from benign forms (known as Monoclonal gammopathies of uncertain significance, Mgus) to the symptomatic and active ones, the actual multiple myeloma.
Between the benign onset and the malignant stage
The progression of this pathology is, in fact, a multi-step process. Between the benign onset and the malignant stage lies an early stage of the disease, known as myeloma ‘smoldering‘, still indolent but with a high probability of negative development (it is estimated in over 50% in the first 2 years of the disease).
As the word itself indicates (smoldering in English means ‘steaming’) – continues the Soho note – in this phase the disease is starting its negative progression without, however, ‘burning’ and creating organ damage.
For this reason, if identified in time through the use of different diagnostic strategies of the latest generation, patients with myeloma smoldering they may be candidates for treatment immunotherapy targeted, early and personalized with the aim of delaying the disastrous progression.
Prospective randomized international studies have shown that the best choice is a combination of lenalidomide, an oral immunomodulatory drug, with dexamethasone. Furthermore, promising clinical studies are underway, also active in Irst, in which the effectiveness of adding a monoclonal antibody is being evaluated.
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“This therapy, devoid of chemotherapy – comments Cerchione – is showing excellent results in terms of efficacy but also tolerability and quality of life of our patients. It constitutes a real revolution, allowing to pass from a strategy of only vigilant observation and therapeutic intervention when the organ damage has already started, to a truly preventive immunotherapy.
Being able to present the progress achieved by research and the state of the art of such a complex pathology, and doing it in front of the world’s leading experts – he underlines – is a source of great pride; I am truly honored to be able to represent Irst in one of the most important congresses in the onco-haematological field ”.
“This recognition – continues Cerchione – confirms the maximum commitment in our Institute in the treatment, as evidenced by the numerous active research protocols, and in the diagnosis of multiple myeloma, myeloma smoldering and monoclonal gammopathies. Right in this period we are conducting an innovative protocol for the profiling of our patients, both newly diagnosed and relapsed, with the aim of offering increasingly personalized therapies “.
(Red / Adnkronos Salute)