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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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Myeloma Side Effect- Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy!
“Not only is CIPN painful but the study below documents how expensive this dreaded (MM side effect) can be to cancer patients and survivors…”
Hi David- I have diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (MM) & have recently undergone Induction Therapy. I am in the process of deciding whether to proceed with high-dose therapy- autologous stem cell transplant (HDT-ASCT). I am 67yrs young & in reasonable shape although the induction therapy had given me chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) mainly in my legs & feet.
I have already changed my diet to a more vegan outlook although it wont be 100% . I am thinking along the anti-angiogenesis line with inclusive foods.
The question I am grappling with is do I call it quits on the conventional route & back my own gut feeling or complete the stem cell transplant with the treatment likely to worsen my neuropathy & maybe introduce other unwelcome side effects?
Bart-
Hi Bart-
Several things. First and foremost, I am sorry to read of your MM diagnosis. The bottom line is that I need more info in order to answer your questions properly. I will enumerate your questions followed by my replies below.
1) “ I am 67yrs young & in reasonable shape although the multiple myeloma induction therapy had given me peripheral neuropathy mainly in my legs & feet.”
Can you tell me your stage and diagnosis and where you are now? For example, what was your m-spike at diagnosis and what was it as of your last blood test? The remission you achieved from your induction therapy (MRD, sCR, CR, VGPR, PR, R) is an important indicator for your next steps.
2) “I have already changed my diet to a more vegan outlook although it wont be 100% . I am thinking along the anti-angiogenesis line with inclusive foods.”
You should continue/begin evidence-based complementary MM therapies such as anti-angiogenic foods and supplements no matter what you choose for your next therapy steps. For the record, my diet is pretty good, pretty anti-MM but it is not 100% either…
3) “The question I am grappling with is do I call it quits on the conventional route & back my own gut feeling or complete the stem cell transplant with the treatment likely to worsen my neuropathy & maybe introduce other unwelcome side effects?”
As I mentioned above, I need more information to reply to this question properly. However, you to not have to decide on an ASCT now. Depending on your stage of remission, you should harvest your stem cells, freeze them, an enjoy/heal your remission.
Studies show that there is no OS (overall survival) benefit to early or late ASCT. Depending on your current stage of course.
Several other issues to consider:
- Your peripheral neuropathy could heal/improve. Again, exercise, nutrition and supplementation can help.
- You could undergo low-dose maintenance revlimid. Revlimid (lenalidomide) can also cause peripheral neuropathy however, not as often as velcade does.
- Are you experiencing any other side effects? Kidney damage, anything?
Lastly, HDT-ASCT is a lot of toxicity, as you know…your choices, going forward, depend largely on your current situation.
I’m happy to continue this discussion. Let me know,
Hang in there,
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Recommended Reading:
Home Remedies for Neuropathy from Chemo aka CIPN
“The home remedies for neuropathy from chemo discussed below may not actually be “home remedies” in the traditional sense of the expression but they are remedies that can be practiced at home if the patient prefers. Not only is CIPN (nerve damage) painful but the study below documents how expensive this dreaded side effect can be to cancer patients and survivors…”
Cannabinoids for neuropathic pain.
“Treatment options for neuropathic pain have limited efficacy and use is fraught with dose-limiting adverse effects. The endocannabinoid system has been elucidated over the last several years, demonstrating a significant interface with pain homeostasis.
Exogenous cannabinoids have been demonstrated to be effective in a range of experimental neuropathic pain models, and there is mounting evidence for therapeutic use in human neuropathic pain conditions. This article reviews the history, pharmacologic development, clinical trials results, and the future potential of nonsmoked, orally bioavailable, nonpsychoactive cannabinoids in the management of neuropathic pain.”
Metronomic chemotherapy
“Toxic effects and chemoresistance are major hurdles in chemotherapy and to avoid these problems caused by traditional chemotherapeutic regimens, a new modality of drug administration called “metronomic chemotherapy” has emerged. Such regimen involves the frequent administration of conventional chemotherapeutic agents at very low doses to target activated endothelial cells in tumors, the advantages of which include minimal adverse effects and a rare chance of developing acquired drug resistance. Previously it was thought that they act by targeting angiogenesis, but recently additional mechanisms have been discovered which has established metronomic chemotherapy as a type of multi-targeted therapy…”
Curcumin enhances the cytotoxic and chemo-sensitising effects of lenalidomide in human multiple myeloma cells
“Conclusion: Curcumin exerts a cytotoxic effect additive to that of lenalidomide on H929 myeloma cells, and it also enhances the chemo-sensitizing effects of this agent…”