Fact 6: Treatment Modalities
Dealing with Multiple Myeloma requires a multifaceted strategy. Thanks to medical advancements, a myriad of treatments are available today. Each treatment aims at either slowing down the disease, managing its symptoms, or improving the patient’s quality of life.
The very mention of cancer often brings chemotherapy to mind. In the case of Multiple Myeloma, specific chemotherapy drugs target and destroy the myeloma cells. While effective, it’s paramount to monitor side effects like fatigue, nausea, or lowered immunity, and manage them effectively.
Stem cell transplants offer a promising avenue. The treatment begins with the administration of high doses of chemotherapy drugs, purging both healthy and diseased cells in the bone marrow. Subsequently, healthy stem cells, harvested either from the patient or a donor, are reintroduced. This procedure gives the bone marrow a chance to regenerate and start afresh, free from the influence of rogue plasma cells.
Targeted therapies mark a significant shift from the broad-spectrum approach of chemotherapy. These drugs, designed after thorough research, focus on the weak points of the myeloma cells. By zeroing in on specific cell mechanisms or proteins, they inhibit cell growth and multiplication without causing widespread damage.
One of the most exciting frontiers in oncology is immunotherapy. By harnessing the power of the patient’s immune system, this approach aims at bolstering the body’s natural defenses. Drugs used in immunotherapy either ramp up the body’s immune response or introduce lab-engineered cells specifically designed to attack myeloma cells.
For those cases where bone damage is pronounced or localized pain is severe, radiation therapy comes into play. By directing high-energy rays at specific areas, this treatment destroys myeloma cells, provides pain relief, and halts local disease progression. (6)
