Apr 19, 2010
Posted by Beth on Apr 19, 2010 in Myeloma Treatment, Thalomid | 0 comments

http://watch.ctv.ca/news/w5/pills-patients–profits/#clip281624
Canada’s news program, W5 (which I assume is shorthand for who, what, when, where and why) , did a program called, “Pills Patients & Profits.” You can see the entire segment on their web site. Click on the link or image above to watch part 3, which focuses on the cost of thalidomide (Celgene’s Thalomid), which is an important treatment for multiple myeloma.
It’s very informative, so please do watch all four parts.
Jun 10, 2009
Posted by Beth on Jun 10, 2009 in Duke, Myeloma, Myeloma Treatment | 0 comments
GENLAB Immunology: Final 06/01/2009 15:03
IMMUNOGLOBULIN PROFILE
Reference
IMMUNOGLOBULIN G *410 mg/dL [588-1573]
TEST REPEATED TO CONFIRM
NOTE: African-American reference ranges differ slightly from
those listed. Please call the Immunology Lab at 684-6939
for race specific ranges.
IMMUNOGLOBULIN A *432 mg/dL [46-287]
TEST REPEATED TO CONFIRM
IMMUNOGLOBULIN M *26 mg/dL [57-237]
IMMUNOGLOBULIN E 30 IU/mL [4-269]
Jun 1, 2009
Posted by Beth on Jun 1, 2009 in ASCO, Myeloma, Myeloma Treatment | 8 comments
A blog reader sent this to me, and I wanted to pass it on.
Hi Beth,
I follow your blog and thought you might be interested to know about a new initiative launched by a coalition of patient advocacy organizations during the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Led by the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), MDS Foundation and the Tackle Myeloma Foundation (TMF), they unveiled a patient “Statement of Principles” to address the inequalities in reimbursement of cancer therapies.
Currently, Medicare and private insurance companies require higher deductibles and co-payments for oral drugs than for IV therapies and inpatient procedures. However, private insurance is regulated at the state level and Oregon, Indiana and Iowa have laws requiring equal coverage with similar legislation pending in several additional states and federal legislation introduced in Congress.
If you’re interested in learning more or signing the petition, you can check out the IMF or MDSF websites.
Best,
Allison
If you go to the IMF’s web site, you can read more about the Cancer Patient Statement of Principles. This was taken from their web site.
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About the eight lethal cancers
Eight forms of cancer, of which multiple myeloma is one, are projected to cause 49% of the 562,340* cancer deaths projected in 2009. For each of these forms of cancer, at least half of the patients diagnosed will die from their cancer within five years. Those cancers are:
| Type of cancer |
Deaths projected in 2009
|
New diagnoses projected in 2009
|
5-year survival rate
|
|
Brain cancer
|
12,920
|
22,070
|
35%
|
|
Pancreatic cancer
|
35,240
|
42,470
|
5%
|
|
Esophageal cancer
|
14,350
|
16,470
|
16%
|
|
Liver cancer
|
18,160
|
22,620
|
10%
|
|
Lung cancer
|
159,390
|
219,440
|
15%
|
|
Multiple myeloma
|
10,580
|
20,580
|
34%
|
|
Ovarian cancer
|
14,600
|
21,550
|
45%
|
|
Stomach cancer
|
10,620
|
21,130
|
24%
|
*Source: Cancer Facts & Figures 2009, American Cancer Society, Atlanta. 2009
Click here to support the Cancer Patient Statement of Principles.
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May 18, 2009
Posted by Beth on May 18, 2009 in Cancer, Myeloma | 0 comments
According to a recent article published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute Advance Access published online on May 12, 2009, it looks as though exposure to formaldehyde could raise one’s risk of lymphohematopoietic malignancies (blood and lymph cancers).
For an extremely statistical look, read the abstract -> http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/djp096
I had some exposure to formaldehyde during my twenties. Nobody can say for sure if that was the risk factor for me though. I worked around plastics. A certain type of plastic, called high density polyethylene, gives off fumes that contain formaldehyde when it’s heated to a high temperature. We stood around at a factory with melting HDPE around us all the time.
Mar 15, 2009
Posted by zerofeel on Mar 15, 2009 in Family, Internet, Life, Myeloma, Myeloma Treatment, News | 3 comments
All,
My uncle Darryl Ramsey was recently diagnosed with Stage 3 Multiple Myeloma and was told that he has aprox 1 year to live. However, my uncle feels that Chemo and Radation are a waste of time because he now knows he has been sick with Multiple Myeloma for over 10 years and thinks he is still here today because of the fact that he was the type of person to refuse going to doctors and he for years started jucing and eating better every day. Like most people the first thing my uncle did was a Google search and he found nothing but grimm information. I started www.myelomaforums.com because I wanted him and others like him to have access to information from other people so that him and others like him know about all the best treatments and have access to all the answers. However, the hardest part of getting a sucessful forum started is getting people and content. I am here to ask everyone to please sign up with www.myelomaforums.com as well because the more your stories are out there the more people we can help.
Thanks,
Andy
P.S. Beth your’re a sweetheart and thanks for the kind email and willingness to help.