Treatment for the disease and its symptoms

When you have been diagnosed with multiple myeloma and it has been classified, your doctor will discuss various treatment options with you. The aims of treatment are to destroy myeloma cells and to control the growth of the tumours, to alleviate the symptoms of myeloma, to improve your quality of life and to lengthen your life. Multiple myeloma is a chronic disease which cannot be permanently cured.

Treatment

Myeloma does not require treatment as long as it stays asymptomatic. During the symptom-free
initial phase of myeloma, the patient’s condition is monitored by means of regular outpatient visits.

If treatment is started too soon, it causes unnecessary adverse effects and has no effect on survival.
Treatment is started when the patient has clear signs or symptoms such as skeletal changes or renal
impairment.

Treatment is planned individually for each person with myeloma. The treatment is chosen based on
the patient’s

  • age, overall health and other conditions
  • laboratory test results and results of other examinations
  • symptoms
  • any previous myeloma treatment.

Your specific genetic myeloma subtype is also taken into account in the treatment.

Several medicines and their combinations are used in the treatment of myeloma

The treatment plan will also include supportive care to alleviate the symptoms and adverse effects
caused by the disease and its treatment.

The disease itself is treated with a combination of several medicines/formulations. The options for
treating the disease include:

In addition, localised radiation therapy may be used to treat painful bone lesions.

It is a good idea to write down any questions you may have for your doctor beforehand, and also to make notes during the appointment. You can also take a friend or family member with you to the appointment to offer psychological support and to act as an extra pair of ears to help remember all the things related to your treatment.