70% of the cases of multiple myeloma achieved complete remission with new therapeutic schemes.
The approach of multiple myeloma has been one of the more progress they and better results achieved in recent years in the field of Oncology, as it shows that up to 70 percent of cases achieve a complete remission of the disease thanks to new therapeutic schemes.
As seen at the beginning of this module, the goal of treatment is always control the disease, its effects on the body, and extend the maximum duration of complete or partial remission time.
The goal of treatment is always control the disease, its effects on the body, and extend to the maximum time duration of complete or partial remission.
To find out how a patient responds to treatment various tests are conducted on a regular basis. Tests may vary from patient to patient, but usually include urinalysis and blood, between one and two aspirations of marrow a year and tests of x-ray and scan.
Although ten years ago for the treatment of this disease resources were very limited and the prospect of survival in older patients failed at 30 months, and 40-45 months in transplanted young, currently these data have improved it in many cases.
Stem Cell Transplants for Multiple Myeloma Patients
“In terms of survival, both in regards to the progression-free and the global, dragged between a year and a year and a half in the last 10 years with the addition of new drugs”, explained the doctor Joan blades, the Haematology service of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona and coordinator of the meeting.
The arrival of oral immunomodulators resulted in a significant improvement in this respect and they constitute a unique group of pharmacological agents with a pleiotropic action mechanism.
“The discovery of Thalidomide was soon after followed lenalidomide and at this time we have already very promising results with pomalidomide and, probably, this is not the end of the story”, added Jesús San Miguel, Chief of the service of Hematology of the Hospital clinical University of Salamanca and also Coordinator of the meeting.
What happens if the treatment is no longer effective?
If the cancer continues to grow after a type of treatment, or if he returns, it is often possible to try another treatment plan that could follow curing cancer, or at least reducing the size of tumors enough as to help you live longer and make you feel better.
On the other hand, when a person has received several different medical treatments and the cancer has not been cured, with the passage of time the cancer tends to become resistant to all treatments. At that time, it is important to weigh the possible limited a new treatment benefit and possible disadvantages, including continuous visits to the doctor and the side effects of the treatment.
Each person has their own way of considering this. Some people may wish to focus on staying comfortable during the limited time remaining.
When you get the time that you tried all medical treatments, but they simply are no longer effective, probably this is the most difficult time in its fight against cancer.
Although your doctor can provide you with a new treatment, you need to consider that it will come the moment is unlikely to continue the treatment improve health or change their prognosis or survival.
Emerging Immunotherapies in Multiple Myeloma
If you want to continue treatment for his cancer-fighting as much as possible, you will need to continue to consider the likelihood that further treatment will give any benefit. In many cases, your doctor can calculate the response rate for the treatment that you believe.
Some people are tempted to receive more chemotherapy or radiation, for example, even when their doctors indicate that likely to benefit are less than 1%. In this situation, you need to analyze and understand their reasons for opting for this plan.
Regardless of what you decide to do, it is important to be as comfortable as possible. Make sure that you ask for and receive treatment for any symptoms that might have, such as pain. This type of treatment is called “palliative”.
Palliative care helps relieve the symptoms, but not expected to cure disease; its main purpose is to improve your quality of life. Sometimes, the treatments that you get to control your symptoms are similar to treatments used to treat cancer. For example, radiation therapy may be administered to help relieve the pain of bones due to bone metastases.
On the other hand, chemotherapy may be given to help reduce the size of the tumor and prevent it from causing bowel obstruction. However, this is not the same which treatment to try to cure the cancer.
At this time, it is possible that you will benefit from the care offered in residences (almshouses) of chronic terminal illness. Most of the time this service be provided at home.
It is possible that the cancer is causing symptoms or problems that need attention, and the residences of chronic terminal illness focus on your comfort. You should know that hospice care does not mean that you can not receive treatment for the problems caused by their cancer or other health conditions. It simply means that the focus of his care consists of live more fully possible and feel as well as I can in this difficult stage of his cancer.
Also remember that it is important to keep hope.
The hope of a cure may not now be so deep, but there is still hope that can spend good times with family and friends, moments that will be full of happiness and meaning.
In some ways, an interruption of his treatment for cancer at this time is an opportunity for re-focused on the most important things in his life. This is the time to do some things that you always wanted to do and stop doing those that no longer want to.