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Multiple Myeloma an incurable disease, but I have spent the last 25 years in remission using a blend of conventional oncology and evidence-based nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle therapies from peer-reviewed studies that your oncologist probably hasn't told you about.
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“Aim for a Cure in Myeloma???”
In the video below, Dr. Sundar Jagannath tells a patient, “We are going to aim for a cure in myeloma.” Is this being honest with the newly diagnosed MM patient? Let’s break it down.
First and foremost, Dr. Jagannath is a knowledgeable, experienced MM specialist. I believe Dr. Jaganneth is well-meaning when he cites a theoretical discussion when an NDMM patient asks him, “Doc, how long will I live?”
Dr. Jaganneth’s responses are:
- “I’m gonna start you with a 4 drug regimen…” (at 11:15)
- “90% of patients respond…A third of patients reach complete remission…”
- “We can add transplant to improve it’s effectiveness..”
- “My goal is to cure you…there are treatment options with curative potential…”
- “I would just tell the patient…your going to live…but we are going to aim for a cure…”
This is what Dr. Vincent Rajkumar refers to as the “potentially curative” approach to managing MM in his essay Treatment of Myeloma: Cure vs Control-
Although not often openly acknowledged, “cure vs control” is the dominant philosophical difference behind many of the strategies, trials, and debates related to the management of myeloma. Should we treat patients with myeloma with multidrug, multi-transplant combinations with the goal of potentially curing a subset of patients, recognizing that the risk of adverse events and effect on quality of life will be substantial? Or should we address myeloma as a chronic, incurable condition with the goal of disease control, using the least toxic regimens, emphasizing a balance between efficacy and quality of life, and reserving more aggressive therapy for later?…”
Curing Myeloma: Leading Myeloma Expert Dr. Sundar Jagannath on Why Cure is Within Reach
My experience as a long-term MM survivor and MM cancer coach is that newly diagnosed MM patients differ a great deal physically and mentally. Meaning, the 50-year-old stage 1 MM patient may have very different goals than the 70-year-old stage 3 MM patient. These two patients may have very different approaches to quality versus quantity of life and how their treatment plans reflect these goals.
- 57% of NDMM patients undergoing DVRd induction therapy experience serious side effects
- Studies vary but between 37% and 44% of NDMM patients relapse in less than 24 months after their ASCT.
The control side of the cure vs. control debate is outlined below. Dr. James Berenson’s therapy approach is much less treatment which is much less toxicity and therefore a higher quality of life. Despite Dr. Berenson’s low-dose treatment approach, his survival statistics more than rival Dr. Jagannath’s.
Are you an MM survivor? What is your approach to managing your MM? Cure or control? Did your oncologist explain any of this to you? Or did he/she simply tell you what you were going to do?
Email me at David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com to learn more about managing your MM with both conventional and non-conventional MM therapies.
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Clinical Outcomes and Serum B-Cell Maturation Antigen Levels in a Real-World Unselected Population of Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Patients
Abstract
Background: Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients have been widely published in the clinical trials setting, but data published from real-world settings are limited.
Objective: We determined the survival and factors that predict outcomes among 161 unselected, newly diagnosed MM patients whose frontline therapy was started at a single clinic specializing in the treatment of this B-cell malignancy.
Patients and methods: None of these patients underwent an autologous stem cell transplantation as part of their initial therapy and the population had a high proportion (35%) of cytogenetic high-risk patients.
Results: With a median follow-up of 42.7 months, the cohort had a median PFS of 22.8 months and a median OS of 136.2 months. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 97.5%, 85.3%, and 76.2%, respectively. These results are considerably better than those reported from patients enrolled in clinical trials and those from countries with national registries. Age <65 years predicted for a longer OS (p = 0.0004). Baseline serum B-cell maturation antigen (sBCMA) levels were also assessed and showed median and mean levels of 320.3 ng/mL and 551.1 ng/mL, respectively. Furthermore, patients with baseline sBCMA levels in the lowest quartile (≤136.2 ng/mL) showed a longer PFS (p = 0.0262).
Conclusion: These results provide clinicians with a real-world understanding of the survival of unselected, newly diagnosed patients initiating therapy in a clinic specializing in the care of MM patients.
aim for a cure in myeloma aim for a cure in myeloma