Chicago -  Managing Myeloma is pleased to announce the launch of the Myeloma Treatment Resource® (MTR®) at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago. The MTR, developed by the Managing Myeloma multidisciplinary scientific advisors, is a compilation of convenient, unique tools and resources essential for practitioners treating patients with multiple myeloma.

The first tool, the Patient Regimen Calendar, was by far the most anticipated tool by the advisors. With this application, a practitioner chooses a patient’s regimens and cycles from a drop-down menu and the tool will fill in the drug name on the specific date to be taken for the length of the cycle. The practitioner can print the calendar out, creating a clear and concise patient takeaway. This tool is invaluable for the patient and practitioner as it clearly and accurately states what medication to take and when, giving the patient confidence in their at-home care by reducing confusion and ultimately, saving time for office staff responsible for answering patient queries and pulling patient charts. 

The second tool is the Compendium of Drug Regimens. The compendium contains all of the current regimens and future agents currently in the practitioner’s arsenal. The tool lists the regimen; recommended dose/schedule; FDA approval and NCCN recommendation; standard of care for 2010; response rate and duration; survival; and common AEs and/or grade 3/4 toxicities. A complete reference at the practitioner’s fingertips, it is frequently updated to meet the needs of the ever-changing multiple myeloma environment. “There is nothing else currently offered to practitioners that is as comprehensive or as easy to retrieve information from as this tool. A must-have for practitioners” says Gene Tombler, PhD, contributor and editor of the compendium.

The third tool launched, the Diagnosis, Staging, Prognosis, and Response Guide, is designed to be an invaluable reference resource for practitioners. The tool is conveniently separated into specific topic areas for quick information retrieval and covers the most common clinical features of multiple myeloma at presentation; recommended laboratory tests for diagnosis, prognosis and risk-stratification, including the roles of the serum free light chain assay, definitions of myeloma and related monoclonal gammopathies; a basic diagnostic algorithm; International Staging System and the International Myeloma Working Group Uniform Response Criteria among other features. All of these tools and more may be accessed by logging onto www.ManagingMyeloma.com.

Managing Myeloma convened the 2010 Multidisciplinary Advisory Board on January 16, 2010 to review the past 18 months and discuss the educational and practical needs of myeloma practitioners in an evolving therapeutic landscape. The advisors, a multidisciplinary group of oncology global thought leaders, community physicians, nurses and pharmacists, reaffirmed their commitment to the comprehensive educational initiative as they reviewed 2008-2009 accomplishments, discussed 2010-2011 goals and challenges, and  identified opportunities to maintain and grow the already impressive US and international  membership (1,376) and improve content and resources for the myeloma practitioner since the launch of www.ManagingMyeloma.com in December 2008.

Dr. Sundar Jagannath, Chief of Multiple Myeloma Services and the Bone Marrow and Blood Stem Cell Transplantation Program at St. Vincent’s Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York, chaired the meeting in the absence of Dr. Ken Anderson and was extremely enthusiastic about the future of the site, “Managing Myeloma has the potential to become a center of excellence for healthcare professionals dealing with multiple myeloma.”

Two of most exciting initiatives discussed were Managing Myeloma Theme Months and the Practitioner Tool Kit.

Each month, www.ManagingMyeloma.com will feature a “hot” topic in multiple myeloma. The site will host brief video clinical commentaries from experts providing updates on the selected topic and its implications for daily clinical practice. Members and other site visitors can also view Frequently Asked Questions related to the topic. The site also features regular polls regarding current clinical practice patterns, presenting a valuable opportunity for practitioners to weigh in with their opinions. Managing Myeloma experts interpret the poll results, take note of current practice patterns, and provide feedback regarding how their practices compare with state-of-the-art recommendations and recent clinical trial updates.

Managing Myeloma Theme Months will kick off in March 2010.

The Managing Myeloma Practitioner Tool Kit will be the go-to resource for practitioners due to its on-demand format and easy accessibility. The Tool Kit will comprise clinical tools, resources and calculators in a variety of formats for print, web, and mobile applications.

“I do not know of another website that has this type of information which is really the things that are important [in] taking care of patients with myeloma.” Stated Dr. Mike Conde, a practitioner at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey. 

The board agreed, the content in conjunction with the application of networking technology and user-friendly formats will be incredibly advantageous to healthcare providers.