First time post on the forum. We are from India. My mother was diagnosed with myeloma in September 2015 and since then has gone through the following treatments:
- Started treatment with bortezomib (Velcade) and cyclophosphamide till January 2016
- Started with Thalidomide and inj. zoledronic acid (Zometa)
- Underwent radiotherapy for local lesions in right knees in May 2016
- Stem cell transplant in June 2016
- Treatment with bortezomib, Graniset, dexamethasone, Rantac (Zantac, ranitidine) in November 2016
In the first week of May, she started having an extreme pain in the sinus area, which turned out to be a soft tissue mass in one side of her maxillary sinus area. A biopsy showed that the mass was in fact from multiple myeloma. This was baffling to us since it was not in the bone as usually seen with myeloma.
She went through 11 radiations for the mass, which has now appeared to reduce. The pain has completely gone. Immediately after the radiation, she started having a recurrent low grade fever spikes (up to 100.8 F / 38.2 C). Our oncologist had a tough time figuring out what was going on. He suspected an infusion port infection, but tests for that have come back negative.
Finally, two CT scans and a bronchoscopy later, she has been diagnosed with tuberculosis after they found two nodules in her lungs and enlarged lymph nodes.
We are quite worried about this new development since this means she might have to go on tuberculosis treatment and off her maintenance therapy. We think there must be an alternative way to treat the tuberculosis without stopping the therapy for the multiple myeloma.
Is it possible to continue treatment for the multiple myeloma while also having the tuberculosis treated?
