Supportive Care

Published: Oct 15, 2008 8:00 am

Supportive care is used to improve myeloma patients' comfort and quality of life.

Myeloma patients often are affected by:

  • Thinning bones
  • Pain
  • Infection
  • Renal failure
  • Anemia
  • Hypercalcemia (too much calcium)
  • Amyloidosis

Supportive treatments for myeloma patients commonly include:

Bisphosphonates (i.e. Aredia® and Zometa®)

  • reduce the advancement of bone disease
  • decrease bone pain
  • reduce fractures

Orthopedic interventions

  • control pain
  • improve functioning and mobility

Pain control (i.e. medication, radiation, radiopharmaceuticals - Quadramet®)

Antibiotics

  • prevent and treatinfection

Growth factors

  • help the bone marrow produce more red and white blood cells

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