Dear Reddog,
As others have mentioned, multiple myeloma is treatable, not curable. I would advise that the best thing is to get on with one's life, if the disease is in the early stage. Do as much as possible and keep healthy. My wife had 5 years post stem cell transplant with no sign of escalation of the disease.
However, once the disease comes back, it is a bit of luck as to whether it can be controlled for any length of time. My wife was always positive and got on with life, doing a Masters in leadership, and building her environmental education center into a world class facility. Sadly, my wife was only 55, much younger than the average age to contract the disease.
Best of luck.
Forums
Re: Life Expectancy
My brother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2003 at the age of 61. He was given 6 months to live.
He was for all of his life conscious of his diet as we have a family history of heart disease. He truly lived the perfect life in diet and exercise. He was perfectly healthy in all other respects when he was diagnosed, through a routine blood test, with multiple myeloma. We have as far as we know no history of cancer in our family.
He then endured autologous stem cell replacement. And after that went into a remission for 8 years. He really became a poster child for his disease and his doctors were amazed. In 2011 when we thought all was well, he started having kidney problems, which shortly thereafter led to the removal of one. Then a tumor on his spine emerged and pressure on the vertebrae became very painful, followed by extreme weight loss.
He fought like no other, thinking he would once again beat this horrible disease.
The prognosis from the onset was at most 8 to 10 years. My brother, the Viking, died in 2013 at the age of 71. We miss him greatly and he beat all the odds for so long. We were sure he was the one who would 'show them all' that it could be done ... but God had other plans for my big brother.
The reason I write this is because he was one of those who fought the odds and, although he suffered initially, he listened to his doctors, and enjoyed many additional years for which he was so very grateful.
I know that he would encourage those diagnosed wth multiple myeloma to not give up though the road is very tough. You might just be the one who beats this cancer.
He was for all of his life conscious of his diet as we have a family history of heart disease. He truly lived the perfect life in diet and exercise. He was perfectly healthy in all other respects when he was diagnosed, through a routine blood test, with multiple myeloma. We have as far as we know no history of cancer in our family.
He then endured autologous stem cell replacement. And after that went into a remission for 8 years. He really became a poster child for his disease and his doctors were amazed. In 2011 when we thought all was well, he started having kidney problems, which shortly thereafter led to the removal of one. Then a tumor on his spine emerged and pressure on the vertebrae became very painful, followed by extreme weight loss.
He fought like no other, thinking he would once again beat this horrible disease.
The prognosis from the onset was at most 8 to 10 years. My brother, the Viking, died in 2013 at the age of 71. We miss him greatly and he beat all the odds for so long. We were sure he was the one who would 'show them all' that it could be done ... but God had other plans for my big brother.
The reason I write this is because he was one of those who fought the odds and, although he suffered initially, he listened to his doctors, and enjoyed many additional years for which he was so very grateful.
I know that he would encourage those diagnosed wth multiple myeloma to not give up though the road is very tough. You might just be the one who beats this cancer.
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Sasa
Re: Life Expectancy
I was diagnosed April 2014, stage 1, light chain myeloma with 17p deletion (high risk). I'm still here more than 2 years later without a stem cell transplant, just continuous therapy.
For me, Empliciti (elotuzumab) plus Revlimid, Velcade, dexamethasone (RVD) has worked well. Not a total remission, as serum and urine immunofixation have been positive for the last year (but too small to quantify), but living a very good quality of life. The meds seem to control the myeloma.
Originally, the doctor said 2-4 years, but they can only recite averages. So thankful I've never been average!
For me, Empliciti (elotuzumab) plus Revlimid, Velcade, dexamethasone (RVD) has worked well. Not a total remission, as serum and urine immunofixation have been positive for the last year (but too small to quantify), but living a very good quality of life. The meds seem to control the myeloma.
Originally, the doctor said 2-4 years, but they can only recite averages. So thankful I've never been average!
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Janet1520