ASH Conference Update Seminar

On Saturday, December 13, 2008, The Minneapolis Myeloma Support Group will hold a seminar on the results of the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), which will be held just a few days earlier, December 4-9. We will get a hot-off-the-press update by a hematologist who attended this key conference. A few of the talks already scheduled for the conference are:

• High-risk myeloma;
• Stem-cell imaging;
• Hematology and aging;
• Deep-vein thrombosis; and
• Many, many more.

In addition, Helen Healy, ND, will speak on the role of naturopathy in treatment of cancer. Dr. Healy is an experienced, graduate naturopathic doctor with a specialty in oncology, and an energizing lecturer as well.

Further, tentatively, a speaker will be invited to talk about medical insurance prescription coverage.

Details are not all settled yet, but the meeting is currently planned to start at 9:00 am, ending at 12:00 noon, at the Hotel Sofitel, 5601 West 78th St., Bloomington, MN, at the junction of Hwy 100 and I-494. Take Hwy 100 to Industrial Blvd, then immediately south on the service road which is on the west side of 100.    MAP

Stay tuned. This is an important event - please do put December 13 on your calendar and plan to come.

Other Meeting Notices:

The St Paul Support group will have its regular monthly meeting:

Wednesday, Oct 15, 2008, 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Family Means Center
1875 Northwestern Ave S
Stillwater, MN 55082
MAP

The Rochester Support Group will also meet:

Saturday, Oct 18, 2008, 10:00 am - Noon
Gift of Life Transplant House
705 Second St SW
Rochester, MN 55902
507/288-7470
MAP

Twin Cities Regional Community Workshop Held

The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) and the Minneapolis Myloma Support Group hosted a workshop at Methodist Hospital, September 27, 2008. Doctor Angela Dispenzieri of Mayo Clinic gave a presentation titled "Myeloma 101," which took the group from the basic nature of myeloma through conventional therapy to the newest therapies and a few experimental ones. After lunch, Teresa Miceli, RN, BSN, from the IMF, spoke on the management of side effects of treatment. Questions were entertained during and after both talks, and the group asked a lot of questions.

Here are few of the subjects touched, in no particular order:

• Deletion of chromosome 13 is not always bad. Depending on the method by which it is detected, deletion-13 may be neutral.
• There is no clear information to suggest that maintenance therapy is preferable to no therapy, after remission is achieved or after a stem cell transplant (SCT), nor is there information suggesting the opposite. It's a personal decision, usually with no wrong answer.
• The death rate from autologous SCT is in the range of one percent, whereas the death rate from allogenic SCT is more like thirty percent.
• SCT does not normally cause neuropathy.
• Revlimid is much less likely to cause neuropathy than is thalidomide.

Helen Berg, who has been instrumental in organizing and promoting the Minneapolis Support Group since the beginning, was presented with a very well-deserved award for outstanding achievement. Congratulations Helen, and THANK YOU! You may be very proud of the work you have done.

The meeting included lunch, provided by the IMF. People came from as far away as Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Teresa Miceli expressed gratitude and appreciation especially for the caregivers in attendance, echoed by all of the survivors. Attendees came away with cool IMF t-shirts, myeloma literature, and other goodies.

Angela Dispenzieri, MD		Teresa Miceli, RN, BSN

MMRF Twin Cities Race for Research

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) announces the fourth annual
5k Walk/Run Race for Research
Sunday, September 28, at 9:00 am
Lake Phalen in St. Paul, Minnesota.
It's a fairly large race, with entertainment and people of ALL speeds. You may wear a number and be timed, or simply enjoy a nice 3.1-mile Sunday morning walk around lovely Lake Phalen as you support research for myeloma. Or you can just watch and support your runner/walker or your myeloma survivor. Everything is handicap accessible. Please put it on your calendar now.

Registration forms may be found on the website, or downloaded here

The MMRF is one of three large organizations which directly support myeloma research and myeloma survivors. The other two are:

• The International Myeloma Foundation, and
• The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.