Multiple Myeloma Treatment

  • Illustration showing a cells in the marrow, a bone, a female doctor and medical charts and text above Multiple Myeloma
    Multiple Myeloma
    Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that forms in a plasma cell, a type of white blood cell. It is considered a rare cancer. Worldwide, an estimated 176,404 people were diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2020. There were about 12,000 cases in India in 2020. Multiple myeloma is treatable and survival rates are better, especially if the disease is diagnosed early and treated. 
Submitted by Dr S. Patel on 31 July 2023
Multiple Myeloma Treatments

Treatment of Multiple Myeloma

Treatment of Multiple Myeloma depends on the type of disease. 

For those with smoldering or symptomless disease, the watch and wait approach is used. This means monitoring is periodically done.

For active myeloma, the treatment is phased out in 3 stages:

  1. Induction therapy is the 1st phase where the aim is to reduce the plasma cell  and M-protein count. This can be done by chemo, targeted  therapy and use of corticosteroids over a course of 3-6 months. After the tumour burden has decreased, the patient will be evaluated and given autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT).
  2. Consolidation Therapy is given post ASCT to improve outcomes of the transplant. In most cases it is a short chemotherapy cycle, or corticosteroids along with targeted therapy.
  3. Maintenance therapy is to ensure that the cancer stays in remission after completion of all other treatments. Targeted therapy may be continued for many patients

     

Changed
17/Apr/2025
Community
Cancer
Condition
Multiple Myeloma

Stories

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