Our Approach & Expertise

Our Clinical Trials Find out about new research studies for multiple myeloma more

Through clinical trials, Memorial Sloan-Kettering investigators showed that nearly 90 percent of patients with myeloma responded to a combination of thalidomide plus dexamethasone when administered following a regimen of dexamethasone combined with the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin. Dexamethasone is a medication used to counteract certain side effects of chemotherapeutic treatment. Patients show a high response rate when dexamethasone is combined with thalidomide, although the combination can sometimes cause side effects. These include blood clots and a serious skin disorder called toxic epidermal necrosis. However, we have found that a majority of patients are able to tolerate the treatment.

We also use a new blood test -- a serum-free light-chain assay -- which can predict the likelihood a patient will achieve a complete, or near-complete, response to therapy.

Our researchers have also shown that bortezomib (Velcade^®) the first in a new class of medicines called proteasome inhibitors and the first new treatment in more than a decade to be approved for multiple myeloma is effective in newly diagnosed myeloma patients.

About Transplantation Information for those facing stem cell transplantation more

Stem Cell Transplantation

At Memorial Sloan-Kettering, we are committed to improving the outcomes of patients who undergo stem cell transplantation for the treatment of multiple myeloma. On average, patients who receive a stem cell transplant at our hospital do extremely well. (More than 99 percent of myeloma patients who receive transplants at Memorial Sloan-Kettering survive the most dangerous period following the procedure, which is the first 100 days.) In addition, we have developed new growth factors and other medications to increase the number of stem cells that are available for collection.

Researchers are not only testing new treatments but are developing diagnostic tools such as microarray analysis, a DNA test that analyzes the expression of thousands of genes and can profile an individual's cancer to determine the treatment to which each patient is most likely to respond.

Expertise in Amyloidosis

Primary amyloidosis (AL) is a condition in which abnormal plasma cells produce a light-chain protein (M protein), a part of an antibody that collects in organs such as the kidney, heart, liver, and nerves and interferes with their normal function. About 10 to 15 percent of patients with myeloma will either have or develop amyloidosis. We treat amyloidosis with a combination of chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation.

AL amyloidosis is sometimes confused with familial amyloidosis at diagnosis. By using additional screening procedures, Memorial Sloan-Kettering physicians ensure that patients are correctly diagnosed and treated.

Our physicians have special expertise in treating amyloidosis, particularly when it involves the heart. We collaborate with other New York City hospitals that provide heart transplants to selected patients with amyloidosis. We also have an excellent record of success using stem cell transplants to treat these patients; many do well despite sometimes irreversible heart damage. Our AL patients with damage in the kidney, liver, gastrointestinal tract, or peripheral nervous system usually improve following treatment that includes a stem cell transplant.

We also pioneered a treatment program combining autologous stem cell transplantation with the drug melphalan. This approach markedly reduces or eliminates the problematic protein in most AL patients who receive this treatment. We are currently studying ways to further increase stem cell mobilization and to improve the overall care of patients who undergo autologous stem cell transplantation.