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From the leaflet of a drug called Revlimid(R) (active ingredient: lenalidomide):

How Revlimid works
 Revlimid works by affecting the body’s immune system and directly attacking the cancer. It works in a number of different ways:

  • by stopping the cancer cells developing
  • by stopping blood vessels growing in the cancer
  • by stimulating part of the immune system to attack the cancer cells.

Now, earlier in the leaflet it says:

What Revlimid is used for
Revlimid is used in adults for:

  • Multiple myeloma
  • Myelodysplastic syndromes
  • Mantle cell lymphoma
  • Follicular lymphoma

All of these types of cancer are blood cancers, i.e., they do not manifest as solid tumors. For solid tumors it makes sense to try and stop blood vessels growth in the tumor to cut off its blood supply, but in non-solid cancers this is not possible.

So, what do they mean by stopping blood vessels growing in the cancer? Which words are missing to make this sentence correct and coherent?

Don_S
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1 Answers1

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Cancers that are derived from blood-related cells can still involve tumor growth - it is wrong to say they do not manifest as solid tumors. Leukemia does not typically manifest as solid tumors and is probably what you were thinking of but is not on your list.

Drugs that inhibit angiogenesis can stop/slow the growth of such tumors.

Jakob, C., Sterz, J., Zavrski, I., Heider, U., Kleeberg, L., Fleissner, C., ... & Sezer, O. (2006). Angiogenesis in multiple myeloma. European journal of cancer, 42(11), 1581-1590.

Koster, A., & Raemaekers, J. M. (2005). Angiogenesis in malignant lymphoma. Current opinion in oncology, 17(6), 611-616.

Bryan Krause
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