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Multiple Myeloma Stem Cell Transplant? C-Reactive Protein, Heart, OS-

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Elevated pre-ASCT C-Reactive Protein identifies a high-risk population especially in patients undergoing delayed ASCT for multiple myeloma…

Myeloma patients can wait to have a stem cell transplant. However, the study linked and excerpted below documents how an elevated c-reactive protein (CRP) level indicates a worse outcome for the myeloma patient who waits 12 months or more after his/her initial diagnosis to undergo an autologous stem cell transplant.

Waiting longer to undergo ASCT doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It simply means that you must take care of your heart in the meantime.

How about undergoing therapies to reduce your CRP? How about undergoing evidence-based, anti-MM nutrition, supplementation and detoxification?

My name is David Emerson. I am a long-term MM survivor and MM Coach. Scroll down the page, post a question or comment if you’d like to learn more about evidence-based non-conventional MM therapies.

Thank you,

David Emerson

  • MM Survivor
  • MM Cancer Coach
  • Director PeopleBeatingCancer

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C-reactive protein

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an annular (ring-shaped), pentameric protein found in blood plasma, whose levels rise in response to inflammation. It is an acute-phase protein of hepatic origin that increases following interleukin-6 secretion by macrophages and T cells

C-Reactive Protein (Inflammation) Levels Before Transplant Can Indicate Overall Myeloma Survival

Interestingly, higher levels of C-reactive Protein are indicative of worse overall survival for Arkansas total therapy patients and those treated with the chemotherapy anthracycline or thalidomide-based induction treatments. However, a decrease of C-reactive Protein for smoldering myeloma patients actually shows better progression-free and overall survival…”

Elevated pre-transplant C-reactive protein identifies a high-risk subgroup in multiple myeloma patients undergoing delayed autologous stem cell transplantation

“We analyzed 1111 MM patients who underwent ASCT at Mayo Clinic from 2007 to 2015…

Elevated CRP (> upper normal limit (8 mg/L)) was seen in 14% and 22% of patients undergoing early and delayed ASCT, respectively (P=0.003).

There was no correlation of CRP with pre-transplant response, bone marrow plasma cell percentage or labeling index. Patients with an elevated CRP had a higher likelihood of having circulating plasma cells prior to ASCT

In the early ASCT cohort, the median overall survival (OS) in patients with normal and elevated CRP was not reached and 91 months respectively.

In the delayed ASCT cohort, the median OS in respective groups were 73 and 30 months respectively, with elevated CRP being an independent prognostic marker on multivariate analysis.

Elevated pre-transplant CRP identifies a high-risk population especially in patients undergoing delayed ASCT and should be incorporated in the pre-transplant evaluation…”

 

Leave a Comment:

1 comment
Louis Coetzee says 4 years ago

Dear David,

I have been diagnosed with MM in October 2015 with a M-protein score of 56. The oncologist immediately wanted to start with chemo therapy, but I took 2 weeks leave to investigate and decided against it. I immediately changed my diet and the score dropped to 25 within 5 weeks. I also lost weight. Since then I have tried various natural supplements, but the M-protein score rises with 1 point on average every month. I am otherwise still healthy and did not experience major setbacks.
My biggest problem is that in South Africa our medical industry follows the FDA and in terms of treatments for MM, we only have the standard treatments available and nothing that is available overseas in the US and Europe. Our currency is very poor against the dollar and every dollar costs us 15 rands (our currency), which makes treatment overseas very expensive and in a way impossible. I have imported some of the products from the US e.g pork pancreatic enzymes, etc and followed the treatment plan, but with no improvement.
What would you suggest I do if you were in my position? Can one for instance contact the Burzynski Clinic and ask for the medication and treatment plan or will they only allow treatment at their clinic? I realize it must be comprehensive, but if you can’t attend the clinic due to the cost, what other alternatives are there available?

Kind regards.

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