After treatment for multiple myeloma, it’s common to have periodic checkups with your doctor. At these appointments, you may have blood tests and imaging studies done to see if your cancer has returned.
During this time, you’re likely receiving maintenance therapy, which is a type of treatment designed to keep cancer from returning. Maintenance therapy may include the same drugs that you took for your initial treatment, new treatments, or a combination of medications.
Read MoreTreatment Options for First Relapse
“Patients, especially high-risk patients, may have disease relapse anywhere between one to three years after the treatment,” Dr. Ye explains. Because multiple myeloma is currently not curable, relapse is expected at some point.For those who have been in remission for several years, “it’s reasonable for you to consider the same regimen after we used it before.” This is especially true in cases where prior maintenance treatments were well tolerated and effective.
There is no one standard protocol for relapse, which makes it easier for doctors to individualize treatment plans based on how well you tolerated previous treatment.
“Many times, we actually switch the regimen to a different class or the next generation within the same class,” Dr. Ye adds. This is an important consideration in cases where the patient has experienced significant side effects during earlier therapy.
Clinical Trials after Multiple Myeloma Relapse
Clinical trials are another option for the first relapse of multiple myeloma that you may want to consider. “Currently, we encourage all patients, if possible, to consider clinical trials,” Dr. Ye advises.
Although multiple myeloma is incurable, clinical trials provide treatment options that are not available to the public. These trials help doctors conduct research on new treatment options so that more effective protocols can be tailored to each patient.
“We are actually in a very exciting era for all immunotherapies,” Dr. Ye adds. These clinical trials offer promising treatment options that can be more effective with less side effects.
Preparing for Relapse
It’s impossible to predict when relapse will occur. Because of this, it’s important to speak with your doctor well before you may expect a return of the disease.
Multiple myeloma patients are monitored closely after treatment and during maintenance therapy. This allows doctors to jump into action with a new treatment plan if the disease returns.
“It’s very difficult to eradicate cancers, and that’s why myeloma currently is still not curable,” Dr. Ye concludes. Experts are trying to learn whether or not we can constrain the cancer cells to avoid damaging the body and preserve quality of life. Dr. Ye hopes that, through treatment advancements and constant research, multiple myeloma will become more manageable rather than incurable.
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