Maintenance Therapy for Multiple Myeloma
Multiple Myeloma
Maintenance Therapy for Multiple Myeloma
You’ve been through the initial three drug therapy. You had a stem cell transplant. Now what do you do to make sure the myeloma doesn’t come back or flareup? The third step in treatment is called maintenance therapy, which maintains the myeloma at its depleted state for as long as possible.
“Maintenance is therapy is just that. It’s maintaining the myeloma at a certain level, or maybe pushing it away, preventing it from growing,” says Dr. Nina Shah, hematologist and myeloma expert at UCSF. Now that the first two phases have attacked the cancer, the third phase seeks to to maintain the depleted state of cancerous cells in the body for as long as possible.
Patients are given a small dose of Revlimid (lenalidomide), which keeps the immune system at a heightened state. As Dr. Shah,, puts it, “It’s telling your immune system, ‘hey, wake up! I think you should be worried about this myeloma that might try to come back.’ And because of that, the lenalidomide helps the immune system to maybe be on guard a little bit more and prevent the myeloma from growing.” Revlimid treatment typically goes for three-week cycles, with one week off between cycles.
Through continued treatment with Revlimid, the maintenance phase has been proven effective in keeping multiple myeloma at bay for long stretches of time. “We know that people who do this for a long time—three, four, five years—actually live longer, and live longer without their disease, than people who don’t,” explains Dr. Shah. In addition, by continuing maintenance therapy, physicians can monitor the patient’s myeloma for any early signs of recurrence.
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You’ve been through the initial three drug therapy. You had a stem cell transplant. Now what do you do to make sure the myeloma doesn’t come back or flareup? The third step in treatment is called maintenance therapy, which maintains the myeloma at its depleted state for as long as possible.
“Maintenance is therapy is just that. It’s maintaining the myeloma at a certain level, or maybe pushing it away, preventing it from growing,” says Dr. Nina Shah, hematologist and myeloma expert at UCSF. Now that the first two phases have attacked the cancer, the third phase seeks to to maintain the depleted state of cancerous cells in the body for as long as possible.
Patients are given a small dose of Revlimid (lenalidomide), which keeps the immune system at a heightened state. As Dr. Shah,, puts it, “It’s telling your immune system, ‘hey, wake up! I think you should be worried about this myeloma that might try to come back.’ And because of that, the lenalidomide helps the immune system to maybe be on guard a little bit more and prevent the myeloma from growing.” Revlimid treatment typically goes for three-week cycles, with one week off between cycles.
Through continued treatment with Revlimid, the maintenance phase has been proven effective in keeping multiple myeloma at bay for long stretches of time. “We know that people who do this for a long time—three, four, five years—actually live longer, and live longer without their disease, than people who don’t,” explains Dr. Shah. In addition, by continuing maintenance therapy, physicians can monitor the patient’s myeloma for any early signs of recurrence.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Initial Treatment: Deciding How and When to Treat
Initial Treatment: Induction Therapy
Stem cell transplant, also known as bone marrow transplant, is often recommended as a second step in treating multiple myeloma. It’s a major undertaking and not always a straightforward decision.
Initial Treatment: Stem Cell Transplant
Stem cell transplant, also known as bone marrow transplant, is often recommended as a second step in treating multiple myeloma. It’s a major undertaking and not always a straightforward decision.