Recently Diagnosed or Relapsed? Stop Looking For a Miracle Cure, and Use Evidence-Based Therapies To Enhance Your Treatment and Prolong Your Remission
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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Myeloma Cast Nephropathy Therapies
According to research 20%- 50% of patients with multiple myeloma develop renal disease, most commonly from AKI (acute kidney injury) caused by cast nephropathy. The range is so wide, because of the basis of the definition used.
Renal disease or kidney involvement can be broken down:
Types of Renal Lesions in Myeloma:
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Myeloma Kidney/Cast Nephropathy:
This is the most common type, resulting from the formation of casts in the kidney tubules due to the binding of free light chains.
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Light Chain Deposition Disease:
Abnormal light chains deposit in the kidney tissue, leading to kidney damage.
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AL Amyloidosis:
Amyloid is an abnormal protein that can deposit in the tissues and organs, including the kidneys, causing damage.
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Cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis and proliferative glomerulonephritis
The study linked below explains that novel MM therapies such as velcade/bortizamib and darzalex/daratumumab is effective at both managing the MM that probably caused kidney damage in the first place, leading to normalized kidney function.
What are the best ways to proactively protect my kidneys?
While the video above may be helpful in suggesting therapies to help kidney function, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention others such as:
Dietary Approaches
- Alkaline Diet – Emphasizes plant-based, low-acid foods to reduce kidney strain.
- Intermittent Fasting – May help reduce inflammation and improve metabolic health.
- Low-Protein Diet with Ketoanalogues – Helps slow disease progression while maintaining nutrition.
Herbal & Natural Remedies
- Astragalus Root – Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to improve kidney function and immune response.
- Rehmannia (Shu Di Huang) – A key herb in Chinese medicine believed to support kidney health.
- Cordyceps Mushroom – Known for potential kidney-protective and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Dandelion Root & Nettle Leaf – May support kidney detoxification and reduce fluid retention.
Mind-Body Practices
- Acupuncture – Used to improve circulation and reduce symptoms like fatigue and nausea.
- Qi Gong & Tai Chi – Gentle movement therapies that enhance blood flow and stress reduction.
- Meditation & Breathwork – May lower blood pressure and reduce kidney stress.
Other Non-Conventional Approaches
- Molecular Hydrogen Therapy – May reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in kidney disease.
- Ozone Therapy – Some alternative practitioners claim it enhances oxygenation and detoxification.
- Ayurvedic Therapies (e.g., Punarnava, Gokshura) – Used in Ayurveda to support kidney function.
- Probiotics & Gut Microbiome Support – Balancing gut bacteria may reduce uremic toxins.
I am a long-term myeloma survivor. Like improvements in MM therapies, diagnostics and oncology care (MM specialists), kidney involvement has now become manageable.
Email me at David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com with questions about any of the MM CRAB symptoms. I can help.
Hang in there,
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Improved Outcomes of Myeloma Cast Nephropathy in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma With Modern Anti-Myeloma Therapies
“Myeloma cast nephropathy (MCN) is a driver of renal failure in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) and has been historically associated with increased early mortality.
Since patients with moderate to severe renal insufficiency are typically excluded from trials, we performed a retrospective study to characterize modern-era outcomes in MCN. We reviewed 274 consecutive NDMM patients from 2017 to 2023 at an academic center and identified 46 patients (16.8%) with MCN.
Among them, 96% had received bortezomib and 67% anti-CD38+ monoclonal antibody in frontline therapy. As per the International Myeloma Working Group criteria, the renal overall response rate was:
- 76.1% (35/46),
- and the renal complete response (CR) rate was 32.6% (15/46) at 6 months.
Overall survival (OS) at 6 months did not differ between MCN (100%) and controls (98.2%). At a median follow-up of ~3 years, the mean MCN OS was within 7 months of control (p = 0.039) by equivalence testing.
Most involved free light chain (iFLC) and proteinuria reduction occurred within 1 month of treatment (83.1%, 3.9 g/d, respectively).
In summary, we report excellent 6-month renal recovery without early mortality in MCN patients with modern anti-myeloma therapies. Prospective studies focused on MCN are urgently needed to further improve the renal CR rate.”