Treatment Options

Planning your treatment may seem overwhelming at first, no matter if you are newly diagnosed or relapsed. Reviewing as much relevant information as you can may help you feel more comfortable with the terminology your healthcare team may use during the planning process.

Multiple myeloma is a rare cancer, so try to find an oncologist and healthcare team experienced in this specific type of cancer. Don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion if you feel it is necessary. This is especially important because treatment for a complex type of cancer needs to be tailored to each patient, and much new information has emerged about the disease itself and treatment options.

Longevity and quality of life are two major goals for most patients, and many strive to live their best life for as long as possible.

However, there are many other factors to consider when planning your treatment approach:

  • Determine the most appropriate therapy with your healthcare team
  • If drug therapy is chosen, be sure to get the optimal length of therapy if tolerated. Duration of treatment can be long, but sticking with the full program can be very important
  • Your treatments could require frequent visits to a medical site or your doctor’s office.  If these treatments are your best path to achieving your goal, figure out the logistics and stick with the schedule. Transportation assistance programs, like CancerCare’s Door to Door program, can help you comply with your treatment schedule. Compliance is a critical part of your disease management
  • Discuss your treatment plan with your healthcare team and make sure you understand how your lifestyle will be affected
  • Discuss your age and current medical condition with your healthcare team
  • Be sure your oncologist knows your full and complete medical history (for example: a history of liver disease, kidney disease, or infections can affect disease management)
  • Evaluate your ability to tolerate different types of treatments
  • Some treatments may limit future choices.  Ask your oncologist if a treatment option will prevent or preclude later disease management choices
  • Keep in mind you may respond differently to treatment than someone else – you may respond quickly and well or you may need more time to see a response
  • Understand that if one treatment doesn’t work, another could give you results
  • Understand that relapse occurs and treatment planning begins again. Don’t let relapses get you too down. Consider seeking emotional support
  • Learn about clinical trials, the possibility of their potential benefit for you, and any restrictions which may affect future treatment decisions
  • Talk to your oncologist or oncology social worker about the costs of your treatment options and the resources that are available to help offset out-of-pocket expenses

Your treatment plan will be based on a discussion between you and your oncologist. If you are a relapsed patient, your treatment options may be different.  But always work closely with your medical team to determine the treatment approach that is best for you. Although there is not yet a cure for multiple myeloma, some treatments may keep the disease under control for years at a time for some patients. 

Many multiple myeloma survivors recommend a very proactive approach with treatment decisions that involves thorough questioning and researching of your options. Learning all about your condition and the different ways of managing your disease can help you feel more confident when asking difficult questions of your healthcare team. It can also help give you the assurance to seek a second opinion if and when you feel it’s necessary. You need to be your own best advocate, and support from a caregiver in this regard can help considerably, too.

After learning about each treatment option, talk to your oncologist about a plan that’s most likely to help you achieve your individual goals.  Also ask about any treatment options your oncologist does not think are appropriate for you and understand why. Know that it’s ok to seek second opinions if you have questions about treatment decisions.

Therapies to Treat Multiple Myeloma 

There are many ways to manage multiple myeloma. You and your healthcare team will determine the therapy that is right for you. Bear in mind, many therapies you may be prescribed have side effects that you will need to discuss with your healthcare team before you begin receiving treatment.

The following are a few of the more common multiple myeloma therapies, which could be part of your treatment plan. Multiple myeloma can be treated by targeting the disease in different ways. You may receive one drug or a combination of the following types of therapies throughout the course of your treatment:

Chemotherapy works with other myeloma treatments to kill or inhibit the spread of cancerous multiple myeloma cells. 

Corticosteroids have been used for decades in the treatment of multiple myeloma, and continue to be an important part of treatment regimens today. Corticosteroids can also help decrease nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy.

Targeted therapies interfere with specific processes involved in malignant tumor growth by delivering drugs or other substances that block the growth and spread of cancer cells.

Stem cell transplant is used to generate healthy blood cells. When the disease is in remission, blood-forming stem cells are removed from the patient’s own blood or bone marrow and frozen. This is known as an autologous transplant. Stem cells can also be taken from a donor, and this is called an allogeneic transplant. Both types of transplant involve high doses of chemotherapy and possible radiation therapy to destroy as many myeloma cells as possible before transplanting new cells back into the bone marrow.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells and alleviate pain in affected areas. It can be used to destroy cancer cells prior to stem cell transplantation.

BRENDA
Diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma

Brenda, on the importance of researching different treatment options when deciding on the right plan for you.

 

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JAMES D. BOND
Multiple Myeloma Survivor

"I was in excellent shape when a routine physical showed questionable results. Within a month I was diagnosed. An incurable cancer! I felt like I'd been hit in the stomach. I couldn't breathe.”

 

 

THE POWER OF CONNECTIONS

Human contact is important. Although Internet-based support groups help on a day-to-day basis, regular meetings... eye contact, personal communication, a hand to hold, an arm around your shoulder, sometimes a hug... can bring reassurance and comfort.

 

 

 
 
 
 
Find out what is best for you
 

 

JAMES D. BOND, CPA

Diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma

I was in excellent shape when a routine physical showed questionable results. Within a month I was diagnosed. An incurable cancer! I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach. I couldn't breathe.

My wife, Kathleen, and I decided early to give it our best shot, and both of us have been intimately involved in my treatment decisions, often using approaches that, at the time, were being studied in clinical trials and that today are available for all of us. I credit research with getting me to this point. We helped by giving it our best shot, staying active, and I know we also had a lot of help from our family, friends and faith.

Throughout our journey, I've worked full time in my office, at home, in my company's satellite offices, and with a laptop in hotels and hospitals. Kathleen and I are both active in speaking to cancer organizations such as support groups. My activities range from serving as a myeloma mentor with a national foundation to riding my bike to raise awareness for multiple myeloma and other cancers.

I've been very fortunate to have seen our sons graduate from college, start their careers and marry. I'm enjoying my recent mandatory retirement and am spending more time with our grandchildren. One takeaway from our story is that in the face of adversity the right attitude and purpose make a tremendous difference. Another takeaway is tenaciously finding the best way to treat your myeloma. Sometimes that might be one drug, a combination of drugs, a transplant, or a drug being studied in a clinical trial. With the right medical team, persistence and information, you can agree on what is best for you at each point of your journey.

 
 

 

THE POWER OF CONNECTIONS

Human contact is important. Although Internet-based support groups help on a day-to-day basis, regular meetings ... eye contact, personal communication, a hand to hold, an arm around your shoulder, sometimes a hug ... can bring reassurance and comfort. Other people who are going through many of the same things you are can be comforting. Together, you can even laugh at some of your experiences or worries. Even when they're not funny, they're real.

Actively participate in your support group – go to meetings regularly, get involved in discussions, help as much as you can with events, get tips about coping with emotions, feelings of isolation and, sometimes, hopelessness. In the process of simply being together, you inspire hope – sometimes in yourself, sometimes in your new friends.

Listen to and learn from helpful, well informed patients who can serve as role models, like Maddie Hunter and James Bond.

Become a role model by letting others know how you are coping AND managing. Don't feel you have to do anything perfectly. Your willingness to share your cares and woes – just being able to talk about them and how you “got through the day” – can help others.

 
 

 

 

 

 

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