TrialX blog on raising clinical trials awareness

I have several different items to share with you today.  First, I have been saving a link to an in-depth article OncLive ran a week ago about the International Myeloma Foundation’s power couple, Dr. Brian Durie and Susie Novis.  The article features fascinating personal insights, most of which were new to me; and I know [...]

Something was missing from this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meetings in Chicago this year.  Conspicuously absent was any news about one of the most promising anti-myeloma drugs, ARRY-520.  Why?  Was there a problem with ARRY-520′s trial data? Absolutely not!  It turns-out that decision makers at the company that is developing ARRY-520, Array [...]

Good news!  Our dear friend and Patient Snapshot favorite, John Knighten, is hanging on.  Last April, John was given only a few weeks to live by his transplant team in Seattle.   But the Spokane, Washington resident and former firefighter continues to fight through severed pain caused by a massive plasmacytoma (tumor) in his sinuses. [...]

It was our pleasure to host David Emerson on The Cure Panel Talk Show on June 13 to talk about “Yoga for Trauma”. The show was hosted by Sharib Khan, Co-founder and Product Lead Applied Informatics, Inc. (TrialX). On the panel we had international Yoga teacher/author/speaker/athlete/healer/corporate consultant Dashama Gordon (dashama.tv), Intermediate Junior I faculty at The Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York/Tibetan Buddhist [...]

Erica Loberg was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She attended Columbia University in New York and graduated with a BA in English. Erica is a published poet and author of Inside the Insane. Her book is a memoir that takes an in-depth look at her own struggles with Bipolar II coupled with a [...]

After stepping-back and taking some time to establish her own rockin’ blog, Myeloma Cinderella is back.  What a treat!  Back to back columns from my two favorite contributors. WARNING: You are leaving my acronym-free zone Myeloma Cinderella is big on acronyms–the alphabet soup I try to avoid–and often uses terms I don’t normally use.  I [...]

Well, the hospital bills have reached new levels of absurdity. I thought my medical bills from a few years back were crazy, but this one takes the cake. I particularity like the $1900 charge for an Advair inhaler ( listed as “FLUTICAS/SALMETER INH 500/50″) on the bill, and $900 for Fluticasone nasal spray( ie Flonase). [...]

I’m always energized when our favorite lifestyle writer, Danny Parker, submits a new column.  Here’s another good one: How might Exercise influence Myeloma? In a previous column, we discussed various studies of how exercise might influence quality of life—and even prognosis—for cancer patients. But what about such studies dealing with myeloma specifically? Is there evidence [...]

Cure Panel Talk Shows are broadcast live on BlogTalkRadio. Anyone from anywhere in the world can access these shows using a telephone or a computer. 1)      Dial-in Using your Phone: If you want to be among the first 50 who register for the event and be able to ask a question live on the show [...]

This is BIG NEWS!  I’m excited to announce that fellow myeloma patient, Matt Goldman and I will be on-air a week from today, interviewing former baseball great and myeloma survivor, Don Baylor, and noted myeloma expert, Dr. James Berenson.  How exciting! There are still a few slots available if you would like to be one [...]

It was our honor to host Dr. Anil K. Patri, Deputy Director of NCI’s Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory who talked about “Nanotechnology in Oncology” on The Cure Panel Talk Show on June 11 @ 6pm ET. Dr. Anil Patri joined the Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL) as a Senior Scientist in February 2005. He directs the physico-chemical characterization and standardization of [...]

We’re delighted to have Don Baylor, famous Major League Baseball coach, former player and manager with us on The Cure Panel Talk Show on June 20 @ 5pm ET. He’ll be discussing “Impact of Stress and Managing Stress While Living with Myeloma” with Dr. James Berenson, Founder Director of the Institute for Myeloma and Bone Cancer Research (IMBCR) [...]

This headline on a well known medical website made me laugh: From ASCO – Revlimid May be Effective for Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Really?  Docs have been prescribing Revlimid to their newly diagnosed patients since late 2006!  But the keystone novel therapy has never been officially approved for use in new patients by the FDA.  [...]

I get a dozen or more calls and emails a day asking, “How are you doing?”  Thanks for asking!  I know I should post more about me and my health.  I joked with my new friends in the Philadelphia Multiple Myeloma Networking Group this weekend, “I already know how I’m doing!  I’m more interested in [...]

  We’re delighted to have with us David Emerson on The Cure Panel Talk Show on June 13 @ 6pm ET to talk about “Yoga for Trauma”. The show will be hosted by Sharib Khan, Co-founder and Product Lead Applied Informatics, Inc. (TrialX). On the panel we have international Yoga teacher/author/speaker/athlete/healer/corporate consultant Dashama Gordon (dashama.tv), Intermediate Junior I faculty at The [...]

The King’s College of London will be conducting a broader study based on an already proven effective therapy method that helps patients suffering from auditory hallucinations that are symptoms of schizophrenia. The University College of London (UCL) has recently developed a therapy method for schizophrenia patients that has proven very successful at helping patients manage, [...]

Thank you, Philadelphia! Meeting everyone and speaking to the Philadelphia Multiple Myeloma Networking Group (PMMNG) was truly a heartwarming experience Saturday!  I know it’s a cliché’, but I really did leave Philly with a bounce in my step.  What an incredible, likeable group!  The meeting is held monthly on the University of Drexel campus (Go [...]

  Dr. Anil Patri will be touching upon a very interesting topic, that of nanotechnology in oncology on the Cure Panel Talk Show on June 11 @ 6pm ET. When we first began to plan a panel discussion on nanotechnology and cancer, I had to really dig in and do some research to unearth and [...]

Patient advocacy can mean several different things.  These days, patient advocacy is most often used in a political sense.  For example, I learned yesterday that Florida enacted oral chemotherapy access legislation Friday, designed to equalize the cost of infusion and oral chemotherapy.  Great news!  But I’ll provide more specifics about that legislation later.  Today I [...]

Now this is exciting!  Italian researchers are using Iron supplements to enhance Velcade’s effectiveness.  Brilliant!  This is the type of research that I love to see.  Finding ways to help make the therapies we already have work better. Individualized dosing could do that for most all drugs we take.  Imagine if your doctor new exactly [...]