3 New Multiple Myeloma Updates.... Research and Treatment

Multiple Myeloma Advances: Noted Hematologist Envisions Big Changes in Treatment Paradigms - 

Clinicians who treat patients with multiple myeloma have witnessed a sea change in the past 15 years. Yet another revolution appears right around the corner, with emerging monoclonal antibodies generating promising results in clinical trials and research on risk stratification revealing how to identify which patients should be treated early, according to Jesús F. San Miguel, MD, PhD.


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How to attack and paralyze myeloma cells

Multiple Myeloma is one of the most common blood cancers, mainly diagnosed in elderly patients. As life expectancy increases, the frequency of the disease has therefore increased during the last decades. Both deeper insights into disease biology including interactions between malignant plasma cells and their bone marrow environment, and the design and clinical testing of new drugs have led to a considerable improvement in the prognosis of this mostly incurable disease during the last years. The right timing and the choice of the best treatment match for the particular myeloma stage and the needs of the individual patient are essential for optimal disease control.

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Researchers turn clinical experience in multiple myeloma treatment into instructive review for physicians

Multiple myeloma is a malignant disease characterised by proliferation of clonal plasma cells in the bone marrow and typically accompanied by the secretion of monoclonal immunoglobulins that are detectable in the serum or urine. Increased understanding of the microenvironmental interactions between malignant plasma cells and the bone marrow niche, and their role in disease progression and acquisition of therapy resistance, has helped the development of novel therapeutic drugs for use in combination with cytostatic therapy. Together with autologous stem cell transplantation and advances in supportive care, the use of novel drugs such as proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs has increased response rates and survival substantially in the past several years. Present clinical research focuses on the balance between treatment efficacy and quality of life, the optimum sequencing of treatment options, the question of long-term remission and potential cure by multimodal treatment, the pre-emptive treatment of high-risk smouldering myeloma, and the role of maintenance. Upcoming results of ongoing clinical trials, together with a pipeline of promising new treatments, raise the hope for continuous improvements in the prognosis of patients with myeloma in the future.

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Fox News Reporters Fired For Trying To Expose Monsanto Were Right, Gets Heard A Decade Later [Video]

Today, more people are in-the-know when it comes to the complicating dangers of foods that are or contain anything genetically modified (GM) and the practices of the corporation synonymous with said GM products, Monsanto.

The Inquisitr made sure to report on the latest pertaining to Monsanto and anything that is GM. Late last year, Maui County in Hawaii voted in favor of banning GMOs. This caused Monsanto to file a lawsuit against the county because it affected their business. Apparently, Monsanto had the judge overseeing the case in their back pocket, which resulted in them winning. The dance continues as Hawaii County Officials are trying to appeal the court ruling. It is safe to say that such shenanigans wouldn’t be tolerated in Russia or China, since they have zero tolerance for anything GM.

Because of the aggressiveness the organic movement has shown against GM products, people who originally stood up against companies like Monsanto are finally being recognized. This includes two former Fox News reporters who were fired. The reason for their termination is because they were about to expose something that the organic community knows about today: GM bovine growth hormone (rBGH) in milk.

According to True Activist, the story of the two Fox News reporters who were fired for exposing rBGH was originally told in the documentary The Corporation. Steve Wilson and Jane Akre were working on a series of health concerns related to rBGH, which they discovered did not comply with safety requirements highlighted by Health Canada. For some reason, that part was not included in the final published version of the report by the corporation that made it, Monsanto.

Steve Wilson and Jane Akre were going to expose this to the public on Fox News, but the report was put on hold after Monsanto’s high-priced lawyers in New York sent a threat to the news channel. Fearing a lawsuit, the general manager tried to do all they could to stop the report. Eventually, Steve and Jane were fired.

In a follow-up article by Nation of Change, Monsanto tested rBGH (formally known as Posilac) on rats for 90 days. While in its testing stage, Monsanto was busy promoting rBGH as the “most tested product in history,” specifically to push it as safe. Apparently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) favored Monsanto and gave it the rubber stamp for human consumption. Health Canada, however, tested rBGH on their own and came up with very different results. Utilizing testing in the United Kingdom, they found rBGH can be absorbed by the human body, thus possibly being toxic. As a result, the Canadian regulatory bodies saw the potential for serious human health problems and denied rBGH for human consumption.

It should probably be reported the reason why Steve Wilson and Jane Akre were terminated for exposing the truth is because of the time. Back in 1997, the general public weren’t knowledgeable to the dangers of GM products. Not to mention, Monsanto at the time was quite powerful because nobody challenged them. As for The Corporation, it was released back in 2003, a time when GMOs were starting to be recognized but primarily as something good (solution to world hunger, better food, etc.).

Now, more than a decade later, Steve Wilson and Jane Akre are finally being heard as the report they tried to bring to the public on Fox News back in 1997 is now mainstream knowledge among scientists, think tanks, organic farmers, and health experts around the world. As a matter of fact, rBGH is now linked to both breast and prostate cancer.

With more countries banning the company from ever having their GMOs and other GM products in their country, it may just be a matter of time.

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ORANGE HEART FUND CAMPAIGN

VST YEAREND REPORT - ORANGE HEART FUND CAMPAIGN - CALL TO ACTION
During the past five months we have continued working with the local Veteran Organizations as well as   Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) local chapters.  There can be no question that the DVA has failed to live by its motto: “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan."  This is exemplified by its malfeasance, falsifications and deceptions regarding the true impact of Agent Orange on the children of those "who have borne the battle" in Vietnam.

Let us introduce you to Gordon Lenke, a Vietnam Veteran that was exposed to Agent Orange many times and wounded while serving in Vietnam.  He has a child suffering from deformities caused by his exposure to Agent Orange.  Gordon joined VST as a volunteer and has been meeting with veteran groups and their families throughout Northern Idaho and Northeastern Washington. He has also handled the distribution of hundreds of copies of "FORGOTTEN" to our Congressional Delegation and to all VVA State Presidents.  Gordon also serves on VST's Board of Directors.

I was asked to address the September Spokane Valley VVA Town Hall meeting.  At the end of my presentation I stated that, "scientists have stated that we must get an Epidemiological Study of Vietnam Veterans completed with independent money and independent scientists because we cannot trust our Government to tell us the truth."  Many Vietnam Veteran families who attended this meeting had children harmed by their dads' exposure to Agent Orange and indicated a strong approval of this statement.

At the Spokane Valley meeting one of the veterans suggested we should start a fundraising campaign by collecting "scrap metal," an idea that was totally new to me.  Therefore, Pacific Steel & Recycling, Inc. (a large Northwest Company) was contacted.  They stated that this was not only possible but they would help us.  Pacific Steel & Recycling has 32 recycling facilities located in Idaho, Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, North and South Dakota.  Most of the facilities are located in Idaho, Washington and Montana.  

The first question is; will this really work and generate revenue?

To answer this question we need to first look at the process:  

1.  Pacific Steel & Recycling (Pacific Steel) has agreed to provide the large containers in which metal scrap can be deposited.  There will be no cost for this service.  

2.  As the containers are filled, Pacific Steel will deliver new empty containers, pick up the full containers and take them back to the Spokane facility for processing.  There will be one collection location in the Coeur d'Alene area and another in Post Falls where scrap metal can be dropped off.  You will be notified of the locations in a couple of days.  The "Trading Company" has already committed for the Post Falls area. 

3.  The process is completely computerized.  As the scrap metal is processed it will be tracked as belonging to the Orange Heart Fund and revenue is transferred directly to the Orange Heart Fund Account. ($80 per ton of scrap metal, delivered.)

The next and key question is;  How can this possibly generate enough money to get the Vietnam Veteran Epidemiological Study completed, which is the first step in fixing the problems related to our children being deformed and ill due to the exposure of their fathers to Agent Orange?

Here is the answer.  210 of you called or e-mailed us regarding the Agent Orange Survey.  But for various reasons only 124 of you (3.54% of the Vietnam Veterans in our area) actually took the Agent Orange Survey.  If the 200 of you who called in could get other veterans and friends to join you and contribute up to 1 ton for each of you over the 7 day test period, we would generate $16,800.  Underscore this with the fact that the Coeur d'Alene Press may be publishing an article about our Scrap Metal Program ("Program") during the seven day test period.  We will also be advertizing.  

Now, multiply these dollar amounts by the 32 Pacific Steel locations and assume that the same 6.2% of Vietnam Veterans at each location agree to participate.  The amount generated increases to approximately $537,600 for the 32 seven (7) day periods.  Following the introduction program, metal scrap containers will continue to be placed and picked up around towns throughout Pacific Steel's market areas.

Is this possible?  You bet it is, and with only the small percentage of Vietnam Veterans that  responded to the CDA Press articles that introduced the Agent Orange Survey.  Has this ever been done before?  NO!  According to Steve Ball, Manager of the Pacific Steel & Recycling plant in Spokane, this is a first and it can work.  Can you imagine what would happen if we got 10% or 20% of just our own Vietnam Veterans to step forward and help raise the money to get the required Vietnam Veteran Agent Orange Epidemiological Study completed?  It would be a resounding notification that we are proud of the service we were called to perform.  It also tells our Government and the DVA that we have not faded away and that our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren will continue to grow.   

YES, it is possible.  Consequently, VST has established the "ORANGE HEART FUND" to receive the proceeds from the Scrap Metal Program.  A new logo has been created specifically for this campaign.  The Logo and Banner are attached (the Banner is six feet long).  The 7 day test Program will be launched in Northern Idaho and the Spokane area on January 20th with help from the Coeur d'Alene Press.  Based on the results, we will expand the Program throughout the Pacific Steel Northwest locations, then Nationwide.  If 6.2% of our 3,700,000 Nationwide Vietnam Veterans generate 1 ton each, that equals $18,352,000.

The success of this Program will depend entirely on the number of Vietnam Veterans that are willing to help with physical and verbal support.  That means we need YOU. We must have your help NOW in getting your neighbors and friends to contribute their scrap metal to the Program.  We need volunteers to help at the Container locations - three teams of 4 to man 4-hour shifts.  We also need to develop a "Pickup brigade" to help people bring their scrap to the Container locations.  We can take old washers, dryers, stoves, barbeques, car parts, hardware, all types of scrap metal.   If you know any farmers, ask them to donate.  They frequently have lots of scrap metal lying around.  Large amounts will be scheduled for pickup by Pacific Steel.

In the Spokane area donations can be delivered directly to Pacific Steel & Recycling located at 1114 North Ralph.  Take Freya North to Trent.  Turn Left (West) on Trent, then in two short blocks turn Right (North) on Ralph.  At the entrance simply state that your scrap metal load is for the Orange Heart Fund.  You will receive an "Orange Heart Fund Card" confirming your donation.  We also need a Spokane "Pickup Brigade."

We have waited over 45 years for our Government and the DVA to get the job done and they have failed, time and time again.  We can get the job done ourselves.  Raise the money needed, hire highly qualified Epidemiological and DNA scientists to complete the research and develop the programs needed to help care for our children deformed by their fathers' exposure to Agent Orange.  

Please let us know that you, and possibly your family, can help.  We need all of you if we are to succeed in getting the care needed for our hurting children.  Call 208-457-1305 to volunteer.

Let's not wait any longer for our Government and the DVA to keep their promises.  Let's get the job done without them.  NOW!  

Richard E Phenneger
Veteran Services Transparency, Inc. 
 rep@VSTNow.org
208-457-8382

Gordon Lenke 
Veteran Services Transparency, Inc.               
208-457-1305 

Veteran Fights for $250K in Benefits for Agent Orange-Caused Condition

Don Rabush says he is owed more than $250,000 in retroactive benefits from the VA

Frustrated and fed-up, Vietnam veteran Don Rabush calls his fight to get Veterans Affairs benefits for an ailment caused by Agent Orange one of the worth battles he’s ever faced.

The Army second lieutenant has been working to get nearly 40 years of retroactive benefits after suffering a heart attack in 1974.

Though a doctor at the time told him the attack was not war-related, the decision was reversed in 2010 when doctors discovered Rabush suffered a heart condition from contact with Agent Orange. He encountered the chemical during his five and a half years of service.

“In Vietnam, I was fighting the Viet Cong. This is a more vicious enemy. These are people who hide behind bureaucracy not to serve veterans," Rabush told NBC 7 Tuesday.

When Rabush filed for benefits in 2010, the VA granted them. Officials are not disputing Rabush’s ailments or their cause, but when the benefits should start.
Rabush said he should get them retroactively to 1974, but the VA says they should start in 2010 when he filed his new claim.

At issue, says VA Pension Management Center Manager Gary Chesterton, is a form Rabush submitted in 1974, which the VA says was a procedural form, not a claim form.

Disabled American Veterans representative Guy Anastasia told NBC 7 Rabush’s checks say otherwise.

“I did research. I went to the legal staff here and in D.C. to verify it can be used for adjudication purposes. It can be,” Anastasia said.

VA officials say it could be months before a decision is made in Rabush’s case.

The veteran said the fight isn’t about the more than $250,000 he stands to get if he wins. Instead, Rabush said it’s more about making sure he and other veterans who risked life and limb get the benefits they need to lead a healthy life.
“It’s common knowledge that VA claims their motto is — for those that are veterans — is ‘Delay, deny until they die.’ And believe me, I’ve felt all of that,” said Rabush.

Chesterton said 87 percent of the people who work in the office are veterans, and they grant benefits as the law allows.

The Disabled American Veterans office is working with congressional leaders to craft legislation to prevent similar issues in the future.

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‘No Bugs, More Food?’ Parent Finds GMO Propaganda In Common Core Science Book

Over the last couple of years, some parents have become cautious of what foods to feed their children, especially with the discovery that genetically modified (GM) foods may be hazardous to a child’s health. The Inquisitr has assisted these parents by reporting on the latest pertaining to GM foods, which could start as early as infancy with GM baby formula and continuing to elementary school with lunch milk containing GM bovine growth hormone (rBGH).

As a result, cautious parents are reporting pros with their children on GM-free diets, and no-GM product businesses, such as Chick-fil-A and Chipotle, are prospering.

However, parents aren’t the only ones who assist in a child’s upbringing, though they should be the most important. Following the old phrase, “It takes a village to raise a child,” teachers accompany in a child’s development, eight hours a day, five days a week, on average. Sometimes, what they teach is in defiance to a parent’s lessons. In this case, a parent is upset that children are being taught genetically modified organism (GMO) propaganda in sixth grade.

According to AltHealth Works, Dawn Jordan, a parent in Missouri (Monsanto’s home state), was shocked to find a section in her niece’s science book, Science: A Closer Look, dedicated to GMOs, specifically GM crops. The section touted four positive bullet points about GMOs which are listed below.

*GMOs can produce more food.
*GMOs have more nutrients.
*GMOs fight disease and insects.
*GMOs need fewer chemical pesticides.

Of course, none of the negatives discovered through scientific testing and research have been included in the textbook. Also, the teacher assisted in the GMO agenda by writing in an answer for one of the questions that asked children to list three ways GMOs could be helpful to humans. Dawn Jordan provides a statement on the teacher’s assistance in promoting GMOs.

“When my niece sent me her homework, I noticed her teacher wrote ‘no bugs, more food’ as a suggestion to her as to what to write about… which disgusts me that a teacher in a public school system has no knowledge whatsoever on the actual truth about GMOs and is merely doing what she is told, without proper research first.”

In a follow-up article by Buy Non-GMO Seeds, it reports that the textbook is published by McGraw-Hill, and is being distributed to schools across the country. It is unknown how many of the books were actually distributed.

This is not the first time Monsanto or another pro-GMO organization or entity has influenced the children of America to support their agenda. Monsanto funded the production of a coloring book titled Look Closer to Biotechnology that was riddled with pro-GMO propaganda. A heavily-biased activity book that listed alleged positives of GMOs but none of the negatives would have been distributed among the public if it weren’t for activists. Summarized, this isn’t the first time Monsanto has attempted to manipulate the minds of children in their favor, and it won’t be the last.

To all you parents out there, now that you’ve read of Monsanto’s agenda of teaching your children about GMOs in their favor, what are your views? Do you find Monsanto and GMOs to be an issue best stopped through education, or are activists just paranoid?

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