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
Related Articles:
- Selective Digestive Decontamination May Reduce Risk of Infection In Myeloma Patients Undergoing Autologous Stem Cell Transplants
- Early Use Of Radiation Therapy Associated With Shorter Survival In Multiple Myeloma
- ECT-001 Granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) Designation By U.S. FDA
- Diet May Affect Risk Of Developing MGUS And Risk Of MGUS Progressing To Multiple Myeloma
- U.S. FDA Okays First Clinical Trial Of An Allogeneic CAR T-Cell Therapy For Multiple Myeloma
