Life expectancy in multiple myeloma is doubled

• April 26, 2024

Until a few years ago, treat the multiple myeloma had a life expectancy of 3 to 4 years, but now the quality and years of life of these patients, has doubled, being between 8 and 10 years, said the doctor Rubén Niesvizky , director of the program Multiple myeloma , of the Presbyterian Hospital, Cornell University, New York .

Through a virtual press conference, Niesvizky said that with the drug REVLIMID , reduces up to 85% the tumor mass of patients: "With this therapy, people live free of the progression of the disease. The challenge for us doctors is that people live longer and in the best conditions. "

The headline of the Multiple Myeloma program, of the Presbyterian Hospital, clarified that until now it is an incurable disease, but the new therapies have increased survival and offer a good quality of life. However, as with all drugs, there are side effects. In an interview for GetQoralHealth , the doctor Deborah Martínez , clinical coordinator of Myeloma of the National Institute of Nutrition Salvador Zubirán (INNSZ), stated:

"One of the main side effects is the decrease in Red blood cells , white blood cells or platelets . The decrease in white blood cells can be reversed with another treatment. Another side effect, is the fatigue; in these cases the ideal is to reduce the dose, but an important aspect is the clots. Therefore, all patients who undergo REDVLIMID should take a preventive drug against the thrombosis or coagulation ”.

Martínez, clarified that the multiple myeloma is is the second hematologic cancer most frequent in the world, followed by leukemia . In Mexico, 12,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, while 45,000 are carriers of the disease.

Video Medicine: Multiple Myeloma Awareness (April 2024).