Life after multiple myeloma often means returning to some familiar things—and making new choices for patients who have battled the disease.
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of a person’s white plasma cells, the cells that fight infection and disease, and it can permanently weaken bones and damage organs. It’s a rare and incurable disease that often returns after successful treatment.[1]
For some people with multiple myeloma, treatment can remove or destroy the cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. For others, the cancer might never go away completely, and you might get regular treatment with chemotherapy and other treatments to try and keep the cancer in check.[2]
In both cases, there’s a certain level of strength and anxiety involved, either because you’re worried about cancer returning after successful treatment or that you’re learning to live with cancer that doesn’t go away.
But you can return to some familiar things and make new choices as part of your journey after you’ve faced multiple myeloma, advises the American Cancer Society[3]:
- Follow-up care: During and after treatment, it’s very important to go to all follow-up appointments. During these visits, your doctor will ask about symptoms, examine you and order blood tests or imaging tests such as CT scans or x-rays. Follow-up is needed to see if the cancer has come back, if more treatment is needed, and to check for any side effects. This is the time to talk to your cancer care team about any changes or problems you notice and any questions or concerns you have.
- Ask your doctor for a survivorship care plan[4]: A survivorship care plan is a record of your cancer and treatment history, as well as any check-ups or follow-up tests you need in the future. Those tests include early detection, or screening, tests for other types of cancer, or tests to look for long-term health effects from your cancer or its treatment. This plan could also include diet and physical activity suggestions and reminders to keep your appointments for your primary care physician, who will monitor your general health care.
- Keep health insurance and copies of your medical records: Even after treatment, it’s very important to keep health insurance. Tests and doctor visits cost a lot, and even though no one wants to think about their cancer coming back, this could happen. At some point after your cancer treatment, you might find yourself seeing a new doctor who doesn’t know about your medical history. It’s important to keep copies of your medical records to give your new doctor the details of your diagnosis and treatment.
- Take steps to lower your risk of multiple myeloma progressing or coming back: If you have (or have had) multiple myeloma, you probably want to know if there are things you can do that might lower your risk of the cancer growing or coming back, such as exercising, eating a certain type of diet, or taking nutritional supplements. Adopting healthy behaviors such as not smoking, eating well, getting regular physical activity, and staying at a healthy weight might help, but no one knows for sure. However, medical professionals say these types of changes can have positive effects on your health that can extend beyond your risk of myeloma or other cancers.
- What to do if the multiple myeloma comes back: If the cancer does recur at some point, your treatment options will depend on where the cancer is located, what treatments you’ve had before, and your health. Speak to your doctor about approaches, particularly if you should consider clinical trials. You can find out if you’re eligible for Bristol Myers Squibb multiple myeloma trials here.
- Get emotional support: Some amount of feeling depressed, anxious, or worried is normal when multiple myeloma is a part of your life. Some people are affected more than others. But everyone can benefit from help and support from other people, whether friends and family, religious groups, support groups, professional counselors, or others.
[1] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiple-myeloma/after-treatment/follow-up.html, Accessed September 30, 2022
[2] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiple-myeloma/after-treatment/follow-up.html, Accessed September 30, 2022
[3] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiple-myeloma/after-treatment/follow-up.html, Accessed September 30, 2022
[4]https://www.cancer.org/treatment/survivorship-during-and-after-treatment/long-term-health-concerns/survivorship-care-plans.html, Accessed September 30, 2022
