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-Reduce Infection, Long Covid, Death Risk- SARS‑CoV‑2…
“The rate of infection in patients with Multiple Myeloma is much higher than in the general population, with bacterial and viral infections predominating…”
Multiple Myeloma (MM) is sometimes referred to as a cancer of the immune system. MM negatively effects a person’s immune system. MM Therapies such as chemotherapy weaken the MM patient’s immune system. Infection is the most common cause of death for MM patients and survivors.
To complicate things, MM is a cancer of older people. The average age of a newly diagnosed MM patient is 70. Our immune system weakens as we age. Most of us MM survivors are over the age of 50.
Vaccination against the Covid-19 virus has been shown in millions of people to be safe and effective. Effective means that the risk of death is greatly reduced by getting vaccinated. Unfortunately, we MM survivors do not achieve the same efficacy against the Covid-19 virus when we get vaccinated.
To be clear, yes, vaccination reduces our risks of all things Covid-19. But we MM survivors do not develop as much immunity as able-bodied people do. It is for this reason that I am both fully vaccinated AND I supplement, exercise, etc. (see the studies linked and excerpted below).
Like the MM CC Program, I encourage MM patients and survivors to pursue the best of both conventional (FDA approved) and evidence-based non-conventional therapies to reduce our risk of all things Covid-19 virus.
When it comes to SARS-Corona virus- 19, MM patients and survivors need all the help we can get. As a MM survivor myself, I want to protect myself as fully as possible in an effort to reduce my risk of
- Infection and/or transmission to others-
- ICU if I do get infected-
- Long-covid if I do get infected-
- Death if I get infected and go to the ICU-
The MM, Covid-19 landscape is moving fast. I encourage any and all comments, debate, questions, etc. etc. below. Let me know what you think.
To learn more about managing the SARS-Covid-2 virus- click now
Hang in there and good luck,
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Recommended Reading-
The PeopleBeatingCancer Side Effects Program-
Infections in patients with multiple myeloma
“Infection is a major complication and a leading cause of death in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) [1]. The risk of infection is due to a multifactorial immunodeficiency caused by the disease itself and the treatment regimens given during the different phases of therapy [2]…
As the disease progresses, patients experience cumulative immunosuppression, and the list of possible pathogens and clinical syndromes broadens. The recognition of this cumulative immunosuppression is a major factor in the proper management of infectious complications in MM…”
EPIDEMIOLOGY
The rate of infection in patients with MM is much higher than in the general population, with bacterial and viral infections predominating. A population-based study involving 9253 MM patients and 34,931 matched controls without hematologic malignancy was conducted in Sweden between 2004 and 2007 [4]. Patients with MM had a sevenfold higher risk of infection compared with controls. The risk was 11-fold greater during the first year following diagnosis. The most common infections were meningitis, septicemia, pneumonia, osteomyelitis, cellulitis, and pyelonephritis. The risk of viral infections was 10-fold higher overall and 18-fold during the first year. Influenza infection and herpes zoster were the most frequent viral infections.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
“Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2)[2] is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the respiratory illness responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[3] The virus previously had a provisional name, 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV),[4][5][6][7] and has also been called human coronavirus 2019 (HCoV-19 or hCoV-19).[8][9][10][11] …”
Immune system
“The immune system is a network of biological processes that protects an organism from diseases. It detects and responds to a wide variety of pathogens, from viruses to parasitic worms, as well as cancer cells and objects such as wood splinters, distinguishing them from the organism’s own healthy tissue. Many species have two major subsystems of the immune system. The innate immune system provides a preconfigured response to broad groups of situations and stimuli. The adaptive immune system provides a tailored response to each stimulus by learning to recognize molecules it has previously encountered. Both use molecules and cells to perform their functions…”
Influenza
“Influenza, commonly known as “the flu“, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses….
Influenza may progress to pneumonia, which can be caused by the virus or by a subsequent bacterial infection. Other complications of infection include acute respiratory distress syndrome, meningitis, encephalitis, and worsening of pre-existing health problems such as asthma and cardiovascular disease…”
A Preventive Role of Exercise Across the Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Pandemic
“The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed a significant threat to human health around the world. A severe risk of infection has been observed in elderly populations…
We have attempted here to provide evidence in support of exercise management as a prevention strategy for improving health and minimizing the effects of COVID-19. Therefore, exercise duration, frequency, and intensity benefits are summarized in an attempt to provide guidelines for the general population…
Activities should be performed according to professional guidelines and advice. If implemented, these measures may reduce infection rates, underlying pathologies, and assist in decreasing mortality associated with COVID-19 pandemic…”
Vitamin D Status and SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 Clinical Outcomes
“Several studies suggest an association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and the outcomes of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona-Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, in particular Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) related severity and mortality. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to investigate whether vitamin D status is associated with the COVID-19 severity, defined as ARDS requiring admission to intensive care unit (ICU) or mortality (primary endpoints) and with the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19-related hospitalization (secondary endpoints)…
Fifty-four studies were included for a total of 1,403,715 individuals. The association between vitamin D status and-
- SARS-CoV2 infection,
- COVID-19 related hospitalization,
- COVID-19 related ICU admission,
- and COVID-19 related mortality
was reported in 17, 9, 27, and 35 studies, respectively. Severe deficiency, deficiency and insufficiency of vitamin D were all associated with-
- ICU admission
- mortality,
- SARS-CoV-2 infection
- and COVID-19 hospitalization…
Interpretations: Patients with low vitamin D levels present an increased risk of ARDS requiring admission to intensive care unit (ICU) or mortality due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and a higher susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and related hospitalization…”
The protective role of vitamin C in the management of COVID-19: A Review
“Conclusion– In summary, vitamin C possesses positive impacts on curing of infection and this may play a protective role in the current COVID-19 pandemic through boosting the immune system.
As a robust antioxidant, vitamin C helps in normal neutrophil function, scavenging of oxidative species, regeneration of vitamin E, modulation of signaling pathways, activation of pro-inflammatory transcription factors, activation of the signaling cascade, nuclear factor κB (NFκB), regulation of inflammatory mediators, gene regulation, phagocytosis, and signaling pathways in T-cells and increases neutrophil motility to the site of infection.
These functions are very crucial for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 infection. So, to develop strong immunity against COVID-19 infection, a regular administration of vitamin C is required. In healthy individuals, 200 mg/day of vitamin C is required to obtain saturated blood levels. The requirement of vitamin C increases during infection, and 1–2 g/day is recommended in this condition. Ongoing randomized clinical trials (RCT) are expected to give more definitive evidences…”
Zinc for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and other acute viral respiratory infections: a rapid review
“Conclusion–Currently, indirect evidence suggests zinc may potentially reduce the risk, duration and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections, particularly for populations at risk of zinc deficiency including people with chronic disease co-morbidities and older adults.
Direct evidence to determine if zinc is effective for either prevention or treatment of SARS-CoV-2 is pending. In the interim, assessing zinc status of people with chronic diseases and older adults, as part of a SARS-CoV-2 clinical work-up, is reasonable as both groups have a higher risk of zinc deficiency/insufficiency and poorer outcomes from SARS-CoV-2…”
N-Acetylcysteine to Combat COVID-19: An Evidence Review
Conclusions-N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is inexpensive, has very low toxicity, has been FDA approved for many years, and has the potential to improve therapeutic strategies for COVID-19. NAC administered intravenously, orally, or inhaled, may suppress SARS-CoV-2 replication and may improve outcomes if used timely. Potential therapeutic benefits of NAC include, extracellularly scavenging ROS radicals, replenishing intracellular GSH, suppression of cytokine storm, and T cell protection, thus mitigating inflammation and tissue injury. NAC administration in combination with other antiviral agents may dramatically reduce hospital admission rate, mechanical ventilation and mortality…”
Probiotics in Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19: Current Perspective and Future Prospects
Probiotics can inhibit cytokine storm by simultaneously boosting the innate immunity and evading the exaggeration of adaptive immunity, which is challenged to respond quickly to the viral onslaught.
Probiotics-induced suppression of the inflammatory cytokine response may prevent both the severity and the occurrence of ARDS, making probiotics an attractive adjunct.
Inventing effective therapy will transform the impact of the pandemic on lives as well as economies across the globe. Therefore, supplementation of probiotics in high risk and severely ill patients, and frontline health workers, might limit the infection and flatten the COVID-19 curve.
However, currently, there are no RCTs to demonstrate conclusive evidence. On the other hand, circumstantial evidence has supported the presumption that probiotic supplementation decreases the severity of COVID-19 responses, including mortality..”