The right treatment for multiple myeloma depends on several factors. A hematologist (blood cancer specialist) can help you determine the best options based on:
- Age
- General health
- Test results
- Classification and stage of disease
The goals of multiple myeloma treatment may differ, depending on the exact diagnosis and personal circumstances:
- Controlling the disease to preventing damage to organs and bones
- Destroying all cancer cells
- Managing a precancerous condition or multiple myeloma that's in remission (not active)
- Providing relief from symptoms so you can live a full life for as long as possible
Multiple Myeloma Treatment Options
Penn Medicine has every available option to treat this disease — from traditional cancer therapies to the newest treatments specifically for multiple myeloma. Options may include:
Active Surveillance
If you have an early precancerous condition or multiple myeloma that's in remission, your team may recommend active surveillance. Also called "watch and wait," active surveillance involves regular checkups and blood tests to make sure you know if and when the condition progresses. Careful surveillance can help you prevent or delay the side effects of treatment.
Bisphosphonates and Pain Medications for Bone Involvement
Because multiple myeloma can weaken bones, your team may recommend certain medications to help avoid fractures. Bisphosphonates can help bones stay stronger, and pain medications can treat bone pain.
Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation
A donor (allogeneic) bone marrow transplant (BMT), also called hematopoietic stem cell transplant, removes cancerous cells in the bone marrow and replaces them with healthy cells. An autologous stem cell transplant removes cells from your own body to allow high-dose chemotherapy to treat the myeloma.
Before transplantation, you receive high doses of chemotherapy or radiation to destroy unhealthy bone marrow. Then our experts infuse the new cells into your body through a tube in the chest. The process is painless, and you'll be awake. After BMT, you stay in the hospital for several weeks for monitoring.
If you are of a population that cannot receive blood products, Penn Medicine offers bloodless transplantation.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy medications are chemicals that kill cancerous cells. They may be taken as pills or infusions into your veins.
CAR T Cell Therapy
CAR T cell therapy is one of the newest, most advanced ways to treat certain types of multiple myeloma. We take immune cells from your own blood and engineer them to fight blood cancer. We then infuse the engineered cells back into your body.
Penn was a pioneer in CAR T cell therapy and continues to lead the field in research and treatment.
Immunotherapy
Cancer cells make proteins that can help them hide from your body's immune system. Immunotherapy interferes with that process, helping your own immune system kill cancerous cells.
Immunotherapy is a promising new treatment for multiple myeloma, with more and more options. Certain therapies are best for certain subsets of patients. Your specialist can help determine whether immunotherapy is right for you.
Radiation
Radiation therapy (radiotherapy) uses high doses of radiation to damage or kill cancerous cells. Depending on your diagnosis, we may use radiotherapy on a specific area of your body or we may deliver whole-body radiation.
Steroids
Steroids are often used in patients with multiple myeloma to help fight the disease and manage symptoms. Because steroids do have side effects and risks, your team will help you decide whether they're right for you.
Targeted therapy
Targeted molecular therapies attack specific parts of cancer cells to stop their growth or kill them. They may work when chemotherapy and other treatments don't.
Supportive Care for Your Multiple Myeloma Treatment Process
Your treatment team will help you with many other aspects of successful multiple myeloma care. We offer many types of patient and family support services, including:
- Financial and insurance issues
- Mental health and emotional needs as you cope with diagnosis and treatment
- Nutrition to maximize your health
- Transportation help if you need it
Clinical Trials
Penn Medicine is a pioneer in research to find new treatments for blood cancers. Our team participates in multiple myeloma clinical trials to discover the next generation of effective multiple myeloma treatments. This work gives our patients access to many of the latest, most promising treatments before they're widely available.
Multiple Myeloma Treatment: The Penn Medicine Advantage
When you choose Penn Medicine's Blood Cancer Program for your multiple myeloma treatment, you'll find:
- Innovative treatment options: We offer every type of treatment for multiple myeloma, including the newest, most advanced options. Our options include immunotherapy, CAR T cell therapy, and bloodless transplantation.
- Specialized expertise: Multiple myeloma treatment has changed significantly in the past few years. New, more specific treatments are now available. Our physicians, pathologists and nurses have special training and experience exclusively in this disease. Our multiple myeloma team is best positioned to choose the appropriate therapy for you.
- Help for even the most complex cases: Because we offer the most advanced treatment options, we can help the most complex cancers. Even if treatment elsewhere has not been successful, we might have options for you.
- A history of leadership in multiple myeloma treatment: Penn is a longstanding international leader in the treatment of blood cancers. We helped develop many of the current treatments and teach others around the world about effective treatment.
Make an Appointment
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