Does doxil work for multiple myeloma?

my friend is 70 years old and has had multiple myeloma for 10years. does anyone know of success stories using Doxil for this form of cancer. Her oncologist suggested it as an alternitive as nothing else is working well.

Well her oncologist should be able to give her the stats. How many more people survive after 5 years out of 100 that take it vs the number of people who survive after 5 years out of 100 that don't take it? It is often a small margin of extra people who survive that take it (in general...not specifically for multiple myeloma.) But illness and death is scary and if she wants to do it , I would support her in her decision. (Or if she didn't). Anyway ask the oncologist for the stats on it.

Here are some links.....see esp. clinical trials..

Multiple myeloma

http://www.multiplemyeloma.org/ (multiple myeloma foundation)
http://www.multiplemyeloma.org/treatment... (myeloma types and treatments)
http://themmrc.org/for_patients/7.02.htm... (for newly diagnosed patients鈥ultiple myeloma research tissue bank)
http://www.multiplemyeloma.org/clinical_... (multiple myeloma clinical trials)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/multi... (medline鈥n multiple myeloma)
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/search;... (clinical trials)
http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/res... (results of clinical trials on multiple myeloma)
http://www.multiplemyeloma.org/in_the_ne... (news on multiple myeloma)
http://www.multiplemyeloma.org/clinical_... (clinical trials frequently asked questions)
http://www.multiplemyeloma.org/clinical_... (basics of cancer clinical trials (need powerpoint)
http://www.multiplemyeloma.org/clinical_... (cancer clinical trials in depth (need powerpoint)
http://www.medicinenet.com/multiple_myel... (medicine net)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_my... (wikipedia)
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/multipl... (mayo clinic)


Bone Marrow Transplants

http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/Undrstnd_D... (National Bone Marrow Donor program鈥ML overview鈥croll down for treatment options)
http://www.marrow.org/ABOUT/Connecting_P... (about the National Bone Marrow Donor program)
http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/Undrstnd_D... (clinical trials by type)
https://web.emmes.com/study/bmt/ (Bone marrow Clinical trials network)
http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/Plan_for_T... (financial assistance for bone marrow transplant patients..ie leukemia,etc)

Nutrition and Support for cancer patients
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MBC/MBC_6.... (nutrition for cancer patients)
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MIT/mit_0.... (supporting cancer patients)

3 books on disease symptoms and treatments

you could also get these books on ebay or amazon or a half price book store. (last two are very similar)..
1.Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine
2.Handbook of Diseases (Lippencott)
3.Professional Guide to Diseases (Springhouse)

Hi,

there are a couple of studies for refractory myeloma (you said "nothing working") using VDD (velcade dox and dex)

we (our support group in ann arbor) have 2 people on this and it is working, but only been on it for a month.

there is anouther study dtd:

http://www.myeloma.org/main.jsp?source=l...

check the myeloma.org site for more or call there hotline - your doc should be able to get info on study (if they are MM doc).

i don't know of anyone on it alone, also - if you take dex with it - make sure the doc has looked at the new study where LOWER dex dose is better:

http://www.myeloma.org/main.jsp?source=l...


hope this helps,

jewells
38 months and still here

Check with the doctor about survival rates. Also, at 70 yrs old quality of life may be more important than quantity. Have her ask about side effects as well. Some times it is better to have a few months pain free than a longer period of feeling awful.

Good Luck

If your friend has had Multiple Myeloma for 10 years and is still alive, I'd say something was working. But yes, Doxil is a chemotherapy has has a good track record of being used in MM, the DVD regimen as someone here already pointed out. However, in the past year there has been some new MM treatments, including lenalidomide (Revlimid) which was approved for use in MM, and is a simpler and better tolerated regimen than DVD. Lenalimomide is an analog of thalidomide, also useful in MM. He is probably a little old for stem cell transplant but in certain individuals, that is another option.