Dr. Silver Talks About Advances in Treatment of Hematological Cancers

Joel Silver, MD, a medical oncologist and a member of the board of directors of Regional Cancer Care Associates, discusses the progress being made in the treatment of hematological cancers, especially in multiple myeloma.

Incremental steps have been taken in to improve on therapy in this field. For example, says Silver, in the past few years new therapies have been approved in multiple myeloma. There is now a better understanding of the disease based on the discovery of new biomarkers and advances in cytogenetics. In addition, there are better ways of assessing which patients are more likely to have progression of disease with standard therapy. Over the past 5 years, sequencing of drugs has improved, and physicians know better how to determine who needs aggressive therapy such as stem cell transplant.