Multiple myeloma cancer affects the plasma cells residing inside bone marrow. The function of the plasma cells is to make certain proteins which are necessary to build up the immune system. However, if produced in abnormal quantities, the same proteins can damage the body to a great extent and jeopardize the immune system as well.
Recent Development in Treatment
Earlier people diagnosed with multiple myeloma cancer did not live beyond a couple of years. However, things have changed in the present times. The survival period has increased more than three times with the introduction of more effective new treatments for multiple myeloma.
Doctors are now able to diagnose myeloma way before it begins to damage the body. They treat it as a way to effectively control the disease and strive to delay any irreversible damage caused to the body.
New Medicines
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved some new medicines for treating multiple myeloma that recurred after previous therapy. The agency has approved daratumumab (Darzalex) for patients who received a minimum of three prior treatments, panobinostat (Farydak) for people who received at least two lines of therapy before, ixazomib (Ninlaro) to treat those patients who have received at least one prior treatment and elotuzumab (Empliciti) is recommended to those who have received between one and three prior therapies. The relapse of the multiple myeloma cancer is very common.
Better results with these medicines
All these medicines are considered to be excellent treatments options for multiple myeloma cancer. Along with these medicines, the specialized centers to treat this form of cancer made it likely for patients to achieve remission now. The rate of survival has also increased. There is hope for everybody who walks in the hospitals and clinics diagnosed recently with multiple myeloma due to the approval of the new line of medicines.
Side effects
The side effects of these medicines include fatigue, peripheral neuropathy, diarrhea, and fever. Daratumumab can result in decreased white blood cells as well.
More drugs are likely to be introduced in the future since there are many clinical trials going on presently. In Mayo Clinic alone, there are over 50 active clinical trials ongoing.