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Background: Advances in the management of multiple myeloma (MM) have extended survival and reduced painful skeletal-related events. As MM is evolving toward a chronic disease, we sought to determine the prevalence of self-reported symptom burden and psychological distress, and to determine the association of distress with survival., Methods: The CPASS-7 patient-reported outcome instrument was administered to a convenience sample of MM patients at 7 outpatient cancer centers., Results: A total of 239 patients completed the CPASS-7 between September 2015 and October 2016%; 57% of respondents were male, and median age was 67 years. Forty-eight percent were concerned that they could not do the things they wanted to do, with 33% reporting decreased performance status. Financial toxicity concerns were self-reported by 44%, with family burdens noted in 24%. Although depression was reported by only 15%, 41% noted lack of pleasure. Pain was a concern in 36%. With a median follow-up of 316 days since CPASS-7 completion, 13% of patients had died. A high total distress score was noted in 57 (24%) and trended toward an association with a decreased survival rate compared to the 182 patients (76%) with a low total distress score (P = .066). The 6-month survival rates for patients with high and low distress scores were 86% and 96%, respectively, and 12-month survival rates were 76% and 87%, respectively., Conclusion: Despite dramatic improvements in survival among patients with MM, symptom, financial, and psychosocial concerns continue to be major patient concerns. As MM becomes a chronic disease, additional attention to addressing these issues is required., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: Progressive midlife weight gain is associated with multiple adverse health outcomes and may represent an early manifestation of insulin resistance in a distinct subset of women. Emerging data implicate hyperinsulinema as a proximate cause of weight gain and support strategies that attenuate insulin secretion., Objective: To assess a previously reported novel hypocaloric carbohydrate modified diet alone (D), and in combination with metformin (M) and metformin plus low-dose rosiglitazone (MR), in diverse women with midlife weight gain (defined as >20lbs since the twenties), normal glucose tolerance, and hyperinsulinemia., Participants: 46 women, mean age 46.6±1.0, BMI 30.5±0.04 kg/m2, 54.5% white, 22.7% black, 15.9% Hispanic, at 2 university medical centers., Methods: A dietary intervention designed to reduce insulin excursions was implemented in 4 weekly nutritional group workshops prior to randomization., Main Outcome Measure: Change in 6-month fasting insulin. Pre-specified secondary outcomes were changes in body weight, HOMA-IR, metabolic syndrome (MS) measures, leptin, and adiponectin., Results: Six-month fasting insulin declined significantly in the M group: 12.5 to 8.0 µU/ml, p = .026. Mean 6-month weight decreased significantly and comparably in D, M, and MR groups: 4.7, 5.4, and 5.5% (p's.049, .002, and.032). HOMA-IR decreased in M and MR groups (2.5 to 1.6 and 1.9 to 1.3, p's = .054, .013). Additional improvement in MS measures included reduced waist circumference in D and MR groups and increased HDL in the D and M groups. Notably, mean fasting leptin did not decline in a subset of subjects with weight loss (26.15±2.01 ng/ml to 25.99±2.61 ng/ml, p = .907. Adiponectin increased significantly in the MR group (11.1±1.0 to 18.5±7.4, p<.001) Study medications were well tolerated., Conclusions: These findings suggest that EMPOWIR's easily implemented dietary interventions, alone and in combination with pharmacotherapies that target hyperinsulinemia, merit additional investigation in larger, long-term studies., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00618072.