‘As people age, it is normal for their blood-forming cells, known as hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), to acquire genetic mutations, or misspellings, in their DNA. Most of these mutations do not affect how HSCs function or cause disease. In some cases, however, the mutations give certain HSCs an edge in survival, granting them an outsized role in producing blood cells. When this situation arises in people who are otherwise healthy, it’s known as clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP).
Individuals with CHIP do not have symptoms of disease or markedly abnormal blood counts, but their risk of developing a blood cancer such as leukemia is 10 times higher than average. That translates into a 1% chance per year of developing one of these diseases. People with CHIP also have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and of leukemia resulting from treatment for other cancers.’
A recent article from the journal Nature Communications (authored by a team from Dana Farber Cancer Institute) reminds us of the relationship between multiple myeloma and CHIP, which stands for Clonal Hematopoeisis of Indeterminate Potential. CHIP may significantly impact multiple myeloma patients who are or will be undergoing Stem Cell Transplants (SCT). The Dana Farber team studied the prevalence of 224 mutated genes that tend to be present in the blood of those with hematological malignancies.
‘Altogether, these data suggest that the presence of CHIP at time of transplant does not increase the risk of secondary cancers associated with IMiD maintenance and that patients with CHIP, when treated with IMiD maintenance, obtain a survival benefit similar to that seen in multiple myeloma patients generally.’
If you have not yet been tested for CHIP (your chances increase with age), you may want to speak with your physician. If you have CHIP and you are not yet refractory to IMiDs, you may want to continue with lenalidomide (Revlimid) maintenance (or one of the other immunomodulators).
Further research on CHIP and multiple myeloma is ongoing. Catch up on the latest advancements presented at medical conferences with HealthTree University for Multiple Myeloma.
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Source:
‘As people age, it is normal for their blood-forming cells, known as hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), to acquire genetic mutations, or misspellings, in their DNA. Most of these mutations do not affect how HSCs function or cause disease. In some cases, however, the mutations give certain HSCs an edge in survival, granting them an outsized role in producing blood cells. When this situation arises in people who are otherwise healthy, it’s known as clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP).
Individuals with CHIP do not have symptoms of disease or markedly abnormal blood counts, but their risk of developing a blood cancer such as leukemia is 10 times higher than average. That translates into a 1% chance per year of developing one of these diseases. People with CHIP also have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and of leukemia resulting from treatment for other cancers.’
A recent article from the journal Nature Communications (authored by a team from Dana Farber Cancer Institute) reminds us of the relationship between multiple myeloma and CHIP, which stands for Clonal Hematopoeisis of Indeterminate Potential. CHIP may significantly impact multiple myeloma patients who are or will be undergoing Stem Cell Transplants (SCT). The Dana Farber team studied the prevalence of 224 mutated genes that tend to be present in the blood of those with hematological malignancies.
‘Altogether, these data suggest that the presence of CHIP at time of transplant does not increase the risk of secondary cancers associated with IMiD maintenance and that patients with CHIP, when treated with IMiD maintenance, obtain a survival benefit similar to that seen in multiple myeloma patients generally.’
If you have not yet been tested for CHIP (your chances increase with age), you may want to speak with your physician. If you have CHIP and you are not yet refractory to IMiDs, you may want to continue with lenalidomide (Revlimid) maintenance (or one of the other immunomodulators).
Further research on CHIP and multiple myeloma is ongoing. Catch up on the latest advancements presented at medical conferences with HealthTree University for Multiple Myeloma.
CREATE A FREE HEALTHTREE UNIVERSITY ACCOUNT
Source:
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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