More Treatment Options Within Reach for Blood Cancer Patients
- Journalist Tom Brokaw, 84, describes his multiple myeloma cancer journey that began in August 2013 as a “bad experience” before finding relief with the breakthrough chemotherapy drug Revlimid (generic name lenalidomide), which has been shown to improve survival for patients. Brokaw is still thriving more than a decade after his diagnosis.
- Multiple myeloma is a rare type of blood cancer that hinders the body’s ability to fight infections. It can cause weakness, dizziness, bone pain, and confusion, among other symptoms.
- Advancements in multiple myeloma treatments have improved the lives of patients battling the disease. Maintenance therapy such as Revlimid is an integral part of the treatment journey for multiple myeloma patients since this incurable disease often returns. Maintenance therapy helps prolong periods of remission.
- This year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration eliminated some of the safety restrictions for CAR T-cell therapies, which have been used to treat certain types of blood cancers, including multiple myeloma.
Brokaw was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, that has since seen a viable treatment option become more widely available.
Read More“I kept thinking bad things wouldn’t happen to me. But as I grew older, I began to develop this condition. And what you try to do is control it as much as you can,” Brokaw shared with CBS Sunday Morning.
The diagnosis ushered in a life-altering transition—one that Brokaw approached with characteristic candor. “I really had to give up my daily activity with NBC. You know, I had to walk away from them as they were walking away from me. I just wasn’t the same person…And so for the first time in my life, I was kind of out there, you know, in a place I had never been in my life,” he Brokaw said.
Still, Brokaw refused to let fear take over. “I didn’t go into a meltdown of some kind. I was very cool about it. I was kind of in two parts: I was operating as a journalist human being, and the other part was kind of on the outside looking in, saying, ‘This is a big deal, you’ve got to stay cool,’” he wrote in a column reflecting on that time.
Throughout his journey, Brokaw remained committed to living life fully—despite the diagnosis. “I didn’t want this diagnosis and its treatment to hold me back from the life I wanted to keep living,” he said.
Llamas, who entered NBC as a humble intern in 2000, recalled a moment that underscored Brokaw’s humanity and impact.
“I walked into 30 Rock in the year 2000. I was an intern making no money. And I’ll never forget when I came in, I heard ‘Tom, Tom’ and I thought, oh, all these people know the intern. This is so nice,” Llamas told CNBC.
“But it was Tom Brokaw who was just behind me. I remember thinking how cool it was that people knew him as Tom and not just Tom Brokaw.”
Since his diagnosis, Brokaw has relied on cutting-edge treatment to manage his condition. One breakthrough, Revlimid (lenalidomide), has been central to his recovery journey. Used both in combination therapy and low-dose maintenance, the oral drug targets myeloma cells and helps keep the immune system alert for relapse.
WATCH: Veteran journalist Tom Brokaw shares his thoughts on the medical community and the patient experience.
“The Revlimid thing for me has been no side effects whatsoever,” Brokaw told SurvivorNet.
“I think that I’m doing as well as I am in part because of Revlimid. I’ve been very fortunate, of course, in not having a reaction to a lot of the very powerful drugs that I am taking.”
Experts say Brokaw’s experience reflects broader gains in treatment.
“If you look at the most recent meta-analysis of clinical benefit from lenalidomide, you’re seeing survival gains of two and 1/2 to three years as a median,” said Dr. Paul Richardson of the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center. “And that’s not progression-free survival, that’s overall survival.”
He added, “Lenalidomide is really conferring tremendous clinical benefit by virtue of its continuous use, and it’s impacting survival and progression-free survival in a remarkably substantial fashion.”
From the anchor desk to the patient’s chair, Brokaw continues to embody grace under pressure. As Llamas carries the Nightly News legacy forward, the power of one name—Tom—echoes far beyond a newsroom.
Expert Resources for Multiple Myeloma
- Adding Daratumumab to Front-line Therapy in Multiple Myeloma
- Adding Sarclisa to Treatment– A Promising New Option for Relapsed Multiple Myeloma
- CAR T-Cell Therapy: A Promising New Approach to Relapsed Multiple Myeloma
- A Great New Option For Multiple Myeloma Patients: Daratumumab Now Available As a Quick Shot, Replacing Long Infusions
FDA Loosens Safety Restrictions on CAR T-Cell Therapies, Expanding Access to Cutting-Edge Cancer Treatments
In a move that could dramatically widen access to lifesaving cancer therapies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has eliminated key safety regulations—known as Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS)—for several CAR T-cell treatments. These immunotherapies have been approved to treat multiple forms of blood cancer, including:
- Large B-cell lymphoma
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
- Follicular lymphoma
- Mantle cell lymphoma
- Multiple myeloma
- B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
- B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL)
Removing REMS paves the way for more hospitals and healthcare providers to offer these therapies, which work by supercharging a patient’s immune system to attack cancer cells. The FDA originally required REMS due to the risk of significant side effects, but reevaluation has determined that the benefits now outweigh the risks.
“REMS is a useful safety system, but reevaluation over time helps inform whether a REMS is still needed to ensure that the benefits of a product outweigh its risks,” said Dr. Vinay Prasad, FDA’s new chief medical and scientific officer and professor at the University of California-San Francisco.
“Eliminating the REMS that are no longer needed also expedites the delivery of potentially curative treatments to patients and reduces burden on providers,” Dr. Prasad added.
WATCH: The Value of CAR T-Cell Therapy for Patients.
This shift aligns with growing support among experts and advisory panels for earlier use of CAR T-cell therapies like Carvykti and Abecma in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. In clinical trials, these treatments produced a 59% reduction in disease progression after just one prior line of therapy. While some participants experienced early fatalities, regulators concluded that the potential benefits outweighed the risks.
The FDA is now reviewing supplemental Biologics License Applications (sBLAs) for both Carvykti and Abecma, a key regulatory step that could allow patients to access these therapies much earlier in their treatment journey.
Understanding Risk and Treatment Pathways for Multiple Myeloma
Treatment decisions for multiple myeloma hinge on a patient’s risk classification—defined by genetic abnormalities in their cancer cells:
- Standard Risk – Extra copies of some chromosomes typically characterize this.
- High Risk – A missing part of chromosome number 17 typically characterizes this
Dr. Kenneth Anderson, director of the Multiple Myeloma Center at Dana-Faber Cancer Institute, explains,
“Standard risk has a better prognosis,” while high-risk disease “confers a much poorer outcome.”
WATCH: Reviewing Treatment Options
The Three Phases of Treatment
Treatment typically progresses through:
- Induction Phase – A drug trio that includes:
- An immunomodulatory agent (Revlimid or Pomalyst)
- A proteasome inhibitor (Kyprolis, Velcade, or Ninlaro)
- A steroid (dexamethasone or prednisone)
This phase is consistent across risk levels.
- Stem-Cell Transplant Phase – Standard chemotherapy followed by a stem-cell transplant, regardless of risk profile.
- Maintenance Phase – Tailored based on whether the patient is standard or high risk.
- Maintenance therapy plays a vital role in keeping the cancer suppressed long-term—even after remission.
Understanding Multiple Myeloma: A Rare Blood Cancer That Often Goes Undetected
Multiple myeloma is a rare—and currently incurable—type of blood cancer. It begins in the bone marrow, where white blood cells called plasma cells (the cells responsible for making antibodies that fight infections) grow out of control. These abnormal cells crowd out healthy blood cells, weakening the body’s immune system and leaving less room for the cells that protect you from illness.
Left unchecked, multiple myeloma can also spread to other parts of the body, causing complications with vital organs like the kidneys.
Sometimes, doctors discover multiple myeloma by accident—while running blood tests for unrelated conditions or investigating mysterious symptoms. To confirm a diagnosis, healthcare providers rely on a combination of blood and urine tests, imaging scans such as X-rays or MRIs, and, ultimately, a bone marrow biopsy.
Common Symptoms of Multiple Myeloma
Signs of the disease can be subtle at first but may intensify over time. Symptoms include:
- Fatigue, nausea, and constipation
- Anemia symptoms: Weakness, dizziness, and shortness of breath due to low red blood cell count
- Bone pain, possibly signaling fractures
- Kidney failure signs: Changes in urination, muscle cramps, vomiting, and nausea
- Confusion, which can result from elevated calcium levels in the blood
- Recurring infections, caused by a shortage of functioning white blood cells
It’s important to note that these symptoms can be linked to other health issues. If you’re experiencing any of them—or notice changes in your body you can’t explain—don’t ignore them and share them with your doctor.
Early diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan can make a meaningful difference in managing this disease and maintaining a good quality of life.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you are facing a multiple myeloma diagnosis, you may be interested in the treatment Tom Brokaw has had success with. Here are some questions to help you begin the conversation with your doctor:
- What stage is my multiple myeloma?
- What are my treatment options?
- Am I a good candidate for Revlimid?
- What are the possible side effects of your recommended treatment?
- Who will be part of my healthcare team, and what does each member do?
- Can you refer me to a social worker or psychologist who can help me cope with my diagnosis?
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
