Dr. George Somlo on Advances in Multiple Myeloma

Dr. George Somlo, MD, medical oncologist, City of Hope, discusses recent highlights in multiple myeloma.

Several new agents have been approved by the FDA in the past year, and oncologists are quickly learning how to best use them, says Somlo.

More and more patients are experiencing complete remissions, or at the least, very good partial remissions that eliminate 90% of the mutational load. Many of those patients can then receive an autologous stem cell transplant and the receive maintenance therapy, accomplishing minimal residual disease.

This directly translates into longer survival and a dramatically improved quality of life, says Somlo.

Oncologists that treat patients with multiple myeloma need to be aggressive, use the latest tools and agents, and enroll patients in clinical trials when applicable, says Somlo.