Medication
Treatment overview for patients with symptoms
- Therapies using medication. Treatments using medication are used to destroy cancer cells. ...
- Bone marrow/stem cell transplantation. A bone marrow transplant is a medical procedure in which bone marrow that contains cancer is replaced by highly specialized cells.
- Radiation therapy. ...
- Surgery. ...
Procedures
There's no cure, but treatments can slow its spread and sometimes make symptoms go away. A type of white blood cell called a plasma cell makes antibodies that fight infections in your body. When you have multiple myeloma, these cells multiply the wrong way.
Therapy
What Are the Treatment Options for Multiple Myeloma?
- Who Should Be Treated and Who Shouldn’t. ...
- Drug Therapies for Treating Multiple Myeloma. ...
- Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Myeloma. ...
- Radiation Therapy for Multiple Myeloma. ...
- Clinical Trials and Experimental Therapies. ...
Nutrition
What are the main leading causes of multiple myeloma?
- Age. Myeloma occurs most commonly in people over 60. ...
- Race. Myeloma occurs twice as frequently in Black people than in white people. ...
- Exposure to radiation or chemicals. ...
- Personal history. ...
- Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). ...
- Gender.
What is the best treatment for multiple myeloma?
Is there a complete cure for multiple myeloma?
What is the latest treatment for multiple myeloma?
What are the main causes of multiple myeloma?
What is RD chemotherapy?
Lenalidomide plus dexamethasone (Rd) — Lenalidomide plus low dose dexamethasone (Rd) (table 8) is an effective oral regimen for the initial therapy of MM and is our preferred initial treatment regimen for frail patients with standard-risk MM unable to tolerate a three-drug regimen (algorithm 2).
What is the most effective treatment for multiple myeloma?
Radiation therapy, which uses high-energy particles or rays to damage cancer cells and prevent them from growing, is proven to effectively treat multiple myeloma in specific situations and/or reduce complications from bone disease. Radiation therapy may also be called radiotherapy, X-ray therapy, or irradiation.
What is the treatment regimen for multiple myeloma?
The most common treatment regimens for multiple myeloma include dexamethasone along with chemotherapy drugs or with other types of medications. The chemotherapy drugs may include melphalan (Alkeran®), doxorubicin (Adriamycin ®, Rubex®), or cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan®, Neosar®).
What is the latest treatment for myeloma?
The latest approval is for the combination of daratumumab plus hyaluronidase-fijh (Darzalex Faspro) plus carfilzomib (Kyprolis) and the steroid dexamethasone for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who received one to three prior treatments.
Is multiple myeloma curable 2021?
While there is no cure for multiple myeloma, the cancer can be managed successfully in many patients for years.
How is multiple myeloma 2020 treated?
Selinexor, an exportin 1 inhibitor, was approved in 2019 to treat patients with relapsed multiple myeloma. In 2020, belantamab mafodotin, a monoclonal antibody–drug conjugate that targets a protein on the surface of plasma cells, B-cell maturation antigen, was approved by the FDA.
How many chemo treatments are needed for myeloma?
Most people have between 4 and 6 cycles of treatment. If you're having lenolidamide treatment you might carry on with this until it stops working. Depending on how well the treatment works, you will either have a stem cell transplant or more chemotherapy.
How long can you stay on Revlimid?
Most US doctors suggest "until disease progression" based on a study showing the duration of survival without myeloma progression was 38.9 months for Revlimid maintenance compared to 20 months for no maintenance therapy.
How many radiation treatments are required for multiple myeloma?
Only one or two treatments may be required, and pain should improve within 2-3 weeks. In advanced disease, if chemotherapy is no longer effective, radiotherapy may be given to the whole body, half at a time, in two sessions several weeks apart. This may help in reducing symptoms and control the disease for some time.
How do you know what stage of myeloma you have?
Doctors use the International Staging System (ISS) to stage myeloma. It looks at the results of 2 blood tests. These blood tests measure the amount of these substances in the blood: are ß2-microglobulin....Stage 3 means:the level of ß2-M is more than 5.5 mg/L.high LDH level.high risk cytogenetics.
How to treat multiple myeloma?
Multiple myeloma can also be treated using drugs, which can be given by mouth or directly into the bloodstream. These systemic therapies can reach cancer cells anywhere in the body.
What is complementary medicine?
Complementary methods refer to treatments that are used along with your regular medical care. Alternative treatments are used instead of a doctor’s medical treatment. Although some of these methods might be helpful in relieving symptoms or helping you feel better, many have not been proven to work.
Why is it important to discuss treatment options with your doctor?
Making treatment decisions. It’s important to discuss all of your treatment options, including their goals and possible side effects, with your doctors to help make the decision that best fits your needs. It’s also very important to ask questions if there's anything you’re not sure about.
What is local therapy?
Some treatments are called local therapies. This means they treat the tumor without affecting the rest of the body. These treatments are more likely to be useful for earlier stage (less advanced) cancers, although they might also be used in some other situations.
Is treatment information given here official policy of the American Cancer Society?
The treatment information given here is not official policy of the American Cancer Society and is not intended as medical advice to replace the expertise and judgment of your cancer care team. It is intended to help you and your family make informed decisions, together with your doctor.
What is the best treatment for multiple myeloma?
Steroids. Steroids are an essential treatment for all stages of multiple myeloma. At high doses, steroids can kill cancer cells. They can also stop white blood cells from going to the disease-affected areas, thereby decreasing inflammation and relieving pain and pressure.
How does radiation therapy help multiple myeloma?
Radiation therapy uses rays of particles to damage multiple myeloma cells and prevent them from growing. Not only can radiation therapy treat multiple myeloma, but it can also reduce complications from bone disease.
What is the standard of care for multiple myeloma?
The standard of care for those with multiple myeloma involves a combination of high-dose chemotherapy and a bone mar row transplant. Getting a bone marrow transplant often means that an individual remains disease-free for a long time.
What is the purpose of monoclonal antibodies?
Monoclonal antibodies are a form of immunotherapy that uses someone’s immune system to fight the cancer cells by targeting specific proteins . Some monoclonal antibodies target the CD38 protein, while others target the SLAM57 protein. Myeloma cells have both proteins.
How many people will have multiple myeloma in 2021?
The American Cancer Society estimates that in the United States, doctors will diagnose multiple myeloma in 19,320 men and 15,600 women in 2021. Researchers are continually working on new treatments to extend life expectancy for people with this condition. Multiple myeloma treatment has come a long way since the days when chemotherapy was ...
What is the best treatment for cancer?
Chemotherapy is a powerful form of treatment that kills cells that divide and multiply quickly, such as cancer cells. However, healthy cells that grow rapidly may also become chemotherapy targets. This includes cells in the bone marrow, digestive tract, reproductive system, and hair follicles.
Can myeloma cause bone deterioration?
People with myeloma can develop weak bones that may break easily. Bone modifying drugs called bisphosphonates can help strengthen the bones and slow down the weakening process. They can also reduce pain levels. One rare but severe side effect of bone modifying drugs is osteonecrosis of the jaw.
What is the best treatment for myeloma?
Patients with active myeloma or light chain amyloidosis are often given a combination of 2 or 3 drugs. The drugs chosen depend on the patient’s health (including their kidney function) and whether a stem cell transplant is planned. Often, a combination containing bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone is used.
What is the treatment for bone disease?
Treatment for bone disease (bisphosphonates) is often started along with chemo. If the areas of damaged bone continue to cause symptoms, radiation therapy may be used. Patients with multiple myeloma also receive supportive treatments, such as transfusions to treat low blood cell counts, and antibiotics and sometimes intravenous immunoglobulin ...
Can lenalidomide be used for myeloma?
This is known as maintenance treatment, and helps delay the return of the myeloma, but it can cause serious side effects. Many drugs and drug combinations can be useful in treating myeloma.
Can Bortezomib be used for multiple myeloma?
Combinations containing bortezomib are especially helpful in patients with kidney problems and those whose myeloma cells contain certain high-risk chromosome abnormalities. Many other combinations may be considered as well. For more on these drugs and some of the more common combinations used, see Drug Therapy for Multiple Myeloma. ...
