Treatment for Recurrence
- Multiple myeloma is a disease where it’s expected you’ll relapse. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of options and can’t live a long, happy life.
- The right treatment for someone with relapsed multiple myeloma depends on the specifics of their case including the patient’s functional status, the type of treatments the patient received in the past, whether recurrence happened while the patients was on maintenance treatment and the patient’s preferences.
- There’s an extensive repertoire of therapies for patients with a multiple myeloma recurrence, so you should consult your doctor about which option is best for you.
Multiple myeloma is a disease where it’s expected you’ll relapse. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of options and can’t live a long, happy life. We spoke with Dr. Tareq Al Baghdadi, a medical oncologist and hematologist at St. Joe’s Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, about what treatment looks like after your first multiple myeloma relapse.
“The treatment of recurrent myeloma is somewhat complicated,” he said. “There are multiple regimens that we use nowadays.”
But the right treatment for someone with relapsed multiple myeloma depends on the specifics of their case.
“The best regimen to use when myeloma recurrence is diagnosed is dependent partly on the patient’s functional status, the type of treatments the patients have received in the past, whether recurrence happened while the patients is on maintenance treatment – whether that’s with Revlimid, Velcade, or both – and also on patient preferences.”
Still, there are many options. Dr. Al Baghdadi says one patients might have a triplet therapy using a monoclonal antibody drug like daratumumab (brand name: Darzalex), and another might have a triplet therapy without monoclonal antibodies. You also might see CAR T-cell therapies or antibodies associated with chemotherapy, and some patients even have another autologous stem cell transplant, though that is not very common.
“With having more efficacious treatment, it became questionable whether a repeat transplant is of value or not,” Dr. Al Baghdadi said. “We use it occasionally, but in reality, if I think of my practice, most patients do not get two transplants nowadays.”
No matter what, you should consult your doctor about your options if you’re faced with a multiple myeloma recurrence. One option that was just right for another case might not be the best option for you.
“The repertoire of therapies that we have for recurrent myeloma is extensive and continues to expand,” Al Baghdadi said hopefully.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Treatment for Recurrence
- Multiple myeloma is a disease where it’s expected you’ll relapse. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of options and can’t live a long, happy life.
- The right treatment for someone with relapsed multiple myeloma depends on the specifics of their case including the patient’s functional status, the type of treatments the patient received in the past, whether recurrence happened while the patients was on maintenance treatment and the patient’s preferences.
- There’s an extensive repertoire of therapies for patients with a multiple myeloma recurrence, so you should consult your doctor about which option is best for you.
is a disease where it’s expected you’ll relapse. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of options and can’t live a long, happy life. We spoke with
Dr. Tareq Al Baghdadi, a medical oncologist and hematologist at St. Joe’s Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, about what treatment looks like after your first multiple myeloma relapse.
“The treatment of recurrent myeloma is somewhat complicated,” he said. “There are multiple regimens that we use nowadays.”
Read More But the right treatment for someone with relapsed multiple myeloma depends on the specifics of their case.
“The best regimen to use when myeloma recurrence is diagnosed is dependent partly on the patient’s functional status, the type of treatments the patients have received in the past, whether recurrence happened while the patients is on maintenance treatment – whether that’s with Revlimid, Velcade, or both – and also on patient preferences.”
Still, there are many options. Dr. Al Baghdadi says one patients might have a triplet therapy using a monoclonal antibody drug like daratumumab (brand name: Darzalex), and another might have a triplet therapy without monoclonal antibodies. You also might see CAR T-cell therapies or antibodies associated with chemotherapy, and some patients even have another autologous stem cell transplant, though that is not very common.
“With having more efficacious treatment, it became questionable whether a repeat transplant is of value or not,” Dr. Al Baghdadi said. “We use it occasionally, but in reality, if I think of my practice, most patients do not get two transplants nowadays.”
No matter what, you should consult your doctor about your options if you’re faced with a multiple myeloma recurrence. One option that was just right for another case might not be the best option for you.
“The repertoire of therapies that we have for recurrent myeloma is extensive and continues to expand,” Al Baghdadi said hopefully.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
