As someone battling multiple myeloma, it is important to understand your treatment plan and whether it is working successfully on your body.
One of the first things to remember is, according to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, there is no one standard treatment. An individual treatment plan is created based on the patient’s age, health, symptoms, complications, lab results, cytogenic tests, any prior myeloma treatment, lifestyle goals and characteristics of the disease.
Then, a discussion with the physician or healthcare team will yield the best treatment option for your body.
According to MMRF, destroying all evidence of the disease will require use of aggressive treatment that may have more severe side effects.
But, you could choose to prevent damage to other organs by controlling the disease. Treatment for this goal includes side effects but they are more tolerable.
If you decide that you’d like to preserve normal quality of life for as long as possible, the healthcare team may go with minimal treatment. Another treatment option is providing lasting relief of pain and symptoms with supportive therapies that can help with managing complications.
READ: How Caregivers Can Help Multiple Myeloma Patients Manage 6 Common Problems
One last option is managing myeloma through remission, which may involve long-term therapy.