Multiple Myeloma is a cancer..but im not sure if it has a cure...?

My dad has Multiple Myeloma - His doctor says there is a 100% cure...but in pamphlets and others it says it has a temporary cure - stem cell transplants and bone marrow transplants...did anyone you know ever have it? what happened?

oh yea...and the doctor im talking about is from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota (which is a pretty good place) so idk...and the pamphlets are also from Mayo..so im sooo confused

I'm not sure there's a 100% cure for anything. I would suggest that you do some of your own research, educate yourself about the different treatments, and then ask the doctor again. Maybe this was just a miscommunication of some kind. Check out the sources below to get started.

I hope your dad does well.

Usually it's treated with chemo, and hopefully a bone marrow transplant. It can be cured.

According to the American Cancer Society, 33% of patients with multiple myeloma survive at least 5 years from the time of diagnosis. Younger people tend to survive longer than older people with this diagnosis.

You have a lot of very legitimate questions about this very challenging condition. Make an appointment for your dad with his doctor and insist on answers to all of your questions. The doctor will be making a lot of money from treating your father - you have the right to his/her time.

Best wishes and good luck.

Oncologist don't like using the word cure because cure implies it will not return. Remission is the better word.

As for multiple myeloma, the median survival of 62 months for stage 1 disease, 45 months for stage 2 disease, and 29 months for stage 3 disease.

However, there are people who have had indefinite remissions usually with igh dose chemotherapy and allogeneic stem cell transplants. These transplants are very risky and do not gurantee even a temporary remission.

One notable person with multiple myeloma is former vice presidental candidate, Geraldine Ferraro, who has survived 9 years with MM so far.

There is nothing that is 100%. Even in the best type of cancers that is "curable", such as testicular cancer or Hodgkin lymphoma, cure rates maybe up to 90+% but not absolute.

Multiple myeloma is absolutely treatable, so there's a differece between response to treatment and cure. In the modern era of targeted, molecular therapies, there are many new treatments that MM will respond to. While transplantation is still an option, you should talk to the hematologist/oncologists about other treatment options, clinical trials.

Hi,

there is NO cure - you can put it into long term remission - I know people thqt are 8+ years with no symptoms but it can still come back.

there is a lot of info on SCT and MM -

also, the IMF is coming to Mayo in June - the Myeloma Mobile, for education and public awareness - check out

www.myeloma.org for more info.

thanks,

jewells
37 months and still here

My dad has multiple myeloma, he is at the V.A. in Dallas ,Tx. The Dr. say no cure. It is treatable . It can only be managed. New drugs are coming every day. There is a center in Arkansas, that does research and treats. He is 65 and I am not hoping for much, just that he does not suffer.