An interesting article was published in the New England Journal of Medicine last month that reported on the long-term follow-up of MGUS patients. The article Long-Term Follow-up of Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance summarizes the outcomes of 1,384 patients diagnosed with MGUS during the period 1960-1994. The median period that patients’ progress was followed and studied was 30.4 years. The primary endpoint of the study was the progression to myeloma or lymphoid disorder. Some of the conclusions are:
about the author
Paul Kleutghen
I am a patient diagnosed in 2014 with primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL), a rare and aggressive variant of multiple myeloma and have been very fortunate to find successful treatment at the division of Cellular Therapy at the Duke University Cancer Institute. My wife, Vicki, and I have two adult children and two grandsons who are the ‘lights of our lives’. Successful treatment has allowed Vicki and I to do what we love best : traveling the world, albeit it with some extra precautions to keep infections away. My career in the pharmaceutical industry has given me insights that I am currently putting to use as an advocate to lower drug pricing, especially prices for anti-cancer drugs. I am a firm believer that staying mentally active, physically fit, compliant to our treatment regimen and taking an active interest in our disease are keys to successful treatment outcomes.
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