Learn about all myeloma happenings on the new Myeloma Crowd site: the first comprehensive site for myeloma patients and caregivers. Dr. Brendan Weiss, MD Abramson Cancer Center University of Pennsylvania Interview Date: June 6, 2014

 Dr. Brendan Weiss, MD of the Abramson Cancer Center specializes in MGUS treatment and precursor myeloma stages. He shares some interesting ASCO findings including panobinostat's success, how metformin (a diabetic drug) use was reviewed in 2,000 VA MGUS patients with diabetes who saw a 40% decrease in the development in myeloma. He also describes an ASCO discovery that low albumin levels seem to predict progression to myeloma. He shares that the percentage of patients with MGUS differ by age and ethnicity - roughly 1-2% in their 40s or 50s have a monoclonal protein while 4-5% over 50 have one, and 10-20% of those in their 70s or 80s have one. In the African American population, that number could be doubled. He discusses how he risk-stratifies MGUS and smoldering patients and how imaging and other tests like MRIs, PET scans, and bone marrow biopsies can or should be used for these patients. He shares common sense strategies to prevent progression. He describes his open study to observe MGUS and smoldering myeloma patients to track new biomarkers that could better identify progression (easy study to participate in!) and his study for high-risk smolderers that targets IL-6, a known growth factor for myeloma using a monoclonal antibody called siltuximab. He continues to search for general proteins part of other biological processes such as kidney injury or inflammation that could lead to future discoveries about why MGUS progresses to myeloma.    The live mPatient Myeloma Radio podcast with Dr. Brendan Weiss