[Nancy Shamanna]

Re: Should my mother discontinue treatment?

by Nancy Shamanna on Wed Oct 18, 2017 9:27 am

Dear Angelique,

I am really sorry to hear of the dilemma that you and your mother are facing. What does your mother think of what she should do? I am the same age as her, and still making decisions on my own, of course with help from doctors and my family. I know that whatever my wishes were, they would be respected.

When Jonah mentions melphalan, that is the main chemotherapy agent used in the 'stem cell transplant' process. It is not that the patient is getting all new stem cells for blood production, but that the patients own cells are being removed, and then the bone marrow is being treated with this very strong alkylating agent, which destroys the cancer cells. Then the patient's own cells are given back, to restart blood cell growth again. Lower doses of melphalan can be given in some treatment regimens. Melphalan is a very well known agent for myeloma therapy, and so is thalidomide. So those treatments would be available world wide I think.

Best wishes whatever you decide to do. This disease is not easy to get through, that is for sure. Please keep us posted on this matter.