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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Stage III, P17 Del. Multiple Myeloma- ASCT or no?
“…you can begin low-dose maintenance therapy. Low-dose revlimid may help your numbers reduce further, and may keep you in remission longer. I will link the integrative therapies guide below.”
Hi David- I was diagnosed in January with Stage III MM – 90% in the marrow and a p17 deletion. I just finished four cycles of RVD and my numbers have almost gone back to normal. I am at the stage where they want to do an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant (ASCT).
I went and got a second opinion and the doctors don’t agree at all – now I am feeling more confused than ever.
I have changed my diet to plant based and to me it seems like this has catapulted my health back to normal.
I have no symptoms other than my knee started to hurt (I do have a torn meniscus) it was at this appointment that they noticed my protein was high … the rest was confirmed from there.
What do you think? Should I have an ASCT or not? Carol
Hi Carol,
I will address your situation below as best I can. My guess is that the two oncologists that you spoke to each represent a school of thought in conventional oncology. As is often the case, my research and experience is a combination of the two schools of thought.
1) ” I was diagnosed in January with Stage III MM – 90% in the marrow and a p17 deletion. I just finished four cycles of RVD and my numbers have almost gone back to normal.”
While a diagnosis of advanced MM (stage 3) is difficult, you are doing well to achieve almost a complete remission- your oncologist probably refers to you as a VGPR aka a very good partial remission.
2) “I am at the stage where they want to to the Stem Cell Transplant. I went and got a second opinion and the doctors don’t agree at all – now I am feeling more confused than ever.”
Without seeing your diagnostic information (blood, urine, imaging, etc.) I am guessing that it is your genetic abnormality, your p17 deletion, that is causing your two oncologists to disagree. My understanding of the research is that you can go one of three different ways-
First, you can stop where you are. The downside is that if your MM relapsed, your p17 deletion may make your MM unresponsive to more treatment. Unresponsive mean your MM is “refractory” and therefore does not respond to chemo.
Second, the other therapy plan can be to have an autologous stem cell transplant in order to give you as deep a response as possible. In theory, this deep response will give you the longest possible remission.
Third, you can begin low-dose maintenance therapy. Low-dose revlimid may help your numbers reduce further, and may keep you in remission longer. I will link the integrative therapies guide below.
3) ” I have changed my diet to plant based and to me it seems like this has catapulted my health back to normal.”
Excellent. All complementary therapies like nutrition, should help you manage your MM.
4) “I have no symptoms other than my knee started to hurt (I do have a torn meniscus) it was at this appointment that they noticed my protein was high … the rest was confirmed from there.”
Again, no symptoms (no side effects I hope as well) is a sign that you are in remission.
Please ask both of your oncologists about the possibility of low-dose maintenance therapy.
While I do not want my reply to come across as a sales pitch, I believe you will benefit from evidence-based, non-toxic therapies- nutrition, non-conventional therapies, antioxidant supplementation, more.
Let me know if you have any questions Carol.
Hang in there,
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Recommended Reading:
- Stem Cell Transplant- Treatment-related Secondary Cancer
- Multiple Myeloma Therapy- Low-dose Maintenance vs. Stem Cell Transplant?
- Multiple Myeloma Induction- RVD W/ or W/O ASCT?
Lenalidomide Maintenance with or without Prednisone in Newly Diagnosed Myeloma Patients: A Pooled Analysis
“We conducted a pooled analysis of two phase III trials, to compare maintenance with lenalidomide-prednisone vs. lenalidomide in newly diagnosed transplant-eligible and -ineligible myeloma patients.
Primary endpoints were progression-free survival, progression-free survival 2 and overall survival with both regimens. A secondary aim was to evaluate the impact of duration of maintenance on overall survival and on outcome after relapse…
Toxicity profiles of lenalidomide-prednisone and lenalidomide were similar, with the exception of neutropenia that was higher in the lenalidomide arm, without an increase in the rate of infections.
Overall survival, progression-free survival from relapse and overall survival from relapse were significantly longer in patients continuing maintenance for ≥2 years…”
Curcumin enhances the cytotoxic and chemo-sensitising effects of lenalidomide in human multiple myeloma cells
“Background: Curcumin, the active component of the Curcuma longa plant, has been shown to potentiate the effect of the immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) thalidomide and Bortezomib against human myeloma cell lines and a nude mice model…
Method: we designed an in-vitro study to investigate the cytotoxic and chemo-sensitising effects of curcumin alone and in combination with lenalidomide on the human myeloma H929 cell line.
Results: Incubation of H929 cells with curcumin (30mM) or lenalidomide (2.5 mM) for 3 days resulted in 26.35% (±1.06) and 30.81%(±2.98) apoptotic cells respectively.
When 30 mM curcumin was combined with 2.5 mM lenalidomide, 50.4% (±3.37) apoptotic cells were detected by flow cytometry and the increase was significant compared to either curcumin alone or lenalidomide alone (anova p = 0.0026). Furthermore, gene analysis studies show that curcumin enhances the cytotoxic effect of lenalidomide via suppression of the cereblon and multi-drug resistant genes.
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.
Treatment of multiple myeloma with high-risk cytogenetics: a consensus of the International Myeloma Working Group
“The International Myeloma Working Group consensus updates the definition for high-risk (HR) multiple myeloma based on cytogenetics Several cytogenetic abnormalities such as t(4;14), del(17/17p), t(14;16), t(14;20), nonhyperdiploidy, and gain(1q) were identified that confer poor prognosis. The prognosis of patients showing these abnormalities may vary with the choice of therapy…
Based on data available today, bortezomib and carfilzomib treatment appear to improve complete response, progression-free survival, and overall survival in t(4;14) and del(17/17p), whereas lenalidomide may be associated with improved progression-free survival in t(4;14) and del(17/17p)...”