[SVBriggs]

Re: OK to be afraid of an allo transplant?

by SVBriggs on Thu Jan 16, 2014 7:42 pm

Nomm,

My brother had a rare and aggressive form of prostate cancer that strikes younger men and has poor prognosis. My Mom had bladder cancer. Two aunts (Mom's side) had ovarian and breast cancer. My Dad had prostate cancer. My Mom and brother survived (combination alternative and standard cancer therapies). No one in my family has history of myeloma or any other form of blood cancer.

An anti-inflammatory diet I feel may be of benefit in blood cancers as inflammation drives myeloma (I also use supplements to suppress inflammation), but you are absolutely right that blood cancers need to be treated aggressively and unfortunately with chemo as they are different from other cancers. I have seen a difference in my LDH levels when I added curcumin and fish oil to my diet. I also had my Il-6 level checked and it came down with the addition of curcumin. However much I feel that curcumin has helped, I know that it is most likely not a cure in itself (at least not once the cancer is full blown).

[nomm]

Re: OK to be afraid of an allo transplant?

by nomm on Thu Jan 16, 2014 8:17 pm

Thank you SVBriggs, thank you for quick reply.
I absolutely agree with you about supression of inflammation as preventive measure.

Hi Guest1,
I think that transplant is always a risk but, sometimes, we have to take a risk and pray for life and ask for help from God and medicine. You can have 2nd opinion, but my opinion that wait and watch approach does not work anywhere in the world and specifically in the world of cancer. I still do not understand why this approach is so common with MGUS. Fight this monster cancer and we will pray for you.

[LibbyC]

Re: OK to be afraid of an allo transplant?

by LibbyC on Thu Jan 16, 2014 10:45 pm

Hi Guest1,
My allo was a breeze compared with the auto I had. I am in remission because of the allo (April 2011). Yes there are risks associated with an allo but there are risks associated with other chemotherapy options. The longest living allo patient (leukemia) in the clinic where I had mine is 20 years post transplant (that was last year and the patient is still alive). I would never see 20 years if I had continued on chemotherapy (they gave me 18 months) now I may see my childrens children . I think the two most important things regarding an allo are monitoring the GVHD and minimizing your exposure to infections. In my clinic I haven't heard of any allo patients dying from GVHD but I know some have died from infections.
All the best,
Libby

[Guest1]

Re: OK to be afraid of an allo transplant?

by Guest1 on Fri Jan 17, 2014 12:37 pm

Thanks for the responses everyone. I'm so caught up on the negatives of the allo, but I have to wonder if the toxicity level is better with an allo then jumping on treatment for a few years.

[dee777]

Re: OK to be afraid of an allo transplant?

by dee777 on Fri Jan 31, 2014 4:36 pm

It has been found multiple myeloma patients do better with a high fat and meat diet. I have the 4;14 translocation, 13 deletion, 8 deletion (not sure what that means), but other then about 4 months on 10 mg of Revlimid, I have been drug free. About 14 months since diagnosis. I do eat a carnivore diet and take pancreatic enzymes. Doing fine. No drugs or SCT for me.