New treatments mean the outlook for patients suffering from myeloma has improved considerably in the past decade, as outlined in the therapeutic focus in the June issue of PharmaTimes Magazine (which can be accessed here). However, the disease still has a very poor prognosis for patients and, at present, there is no cure.
Earlier diagnosis is key to improving survival rates for myeloma sufferers as it is for all cancer patients. It is, therefore, vital that all clinicians, particularly GPs, are reminded and educated about the many different signs and symptoms of myeloma, which are often vague and easy to dismiss.
To this end, Myeloma UK (www.myeloma.org.uk) is currently working with Doctors.net.uk – which is the UK’s largest and most active online network of doctors and is part of M3 – to increase GPs’ awareness and knowledge of the disease, via a series of online tools.
Research is already underway in the area of personalised medicine for myeloma sufferers and, as new therapies are developed, the NHS will need to find ways to personalise the treatment regimens for each patient. Such innovations not only bring hope of more effective treatments for individuals, but also suggest that a cure may be possible in the foreseeable future.
For more information on M3, the global provider of technology services in healthcare, and its new European Division, which includes www.doctors.net.uk, www.mdlinx.com, and www.networksinhealth.com, please call Tim Ringrose on +44 (0)1235 828400, or email Tim.ringrose@eu.m3.com
You can read the full article on managing myeloma from the June issue of PharmaTimes Magazine that this comment appeared beside here.
