Alternatives to Stem Cell Transplantation

Hi-

I was wondering if anyone has had any luck with conventional chemotherapy and said no thank-you to a stem cell transplant.  My husband is currently receiving his second treatment (first thal-dex) and now dex with velcade.  At last count, just after two doses of Velcade he still had more than 2grams of free kappa light chains in his urine.  His CBC looks better (but who knows what that means). This stem cell transplant just doesn't feel right to me. And, I was wondering if anyone else had declined one, or if I might be getting all worked up for no reason.

It just seems if the myeloma is going to come back anyways why not enjoy somethings without the intensive treatment.  My husband is 41, his beta2microglobulin at the time of diagnosis was 26, and his kidneys had failed.  It is my impression from what the transplant physician said, the transplant would buy him 5years. They didn't offer us what a regular chemo would get him.

Thanks for any opinions,

Carolynn

My wife had been diagnosed with myeloma for 1 year. She takes only Thalidomide and has refused both Dex and the transplant. However, her B2micro is only 2 and her proteins have been decreasing slowly and steadily. She is also on a very complex regimen of natural and homeopathic treatments. That said ... it is my belief that if a person is very far progressed with the cancer the auto-transplant would seem to be the way to go. We have a friend in Holland who was in that situation and he had the transplant followed up with very specific natural products and is doing very well. If my wife's cancer begins to go negative I think she will also choose to have the auto-transplant.

Best regards to you and your family,

Craig Persel

As you know, everyone is different - both on how treatments affect them and on how a cancer affects them.  Your doctor said that a SCT might buy 5 years.  That may be a bit optimistic.  Optimism is good, but having the details is best.  An SCT may 1) not work, 2) may work for 6 months, 3) may have a positive affect for a couple of years, 4) or could result in remission.  My SCT kept the plasma cells under control for about 2 years. There was still myeloma, but at a reduced percentage.  I am now on Revlimid and Dex.  Having good results so far.   Any way, I would question the 5 years your doctor mentioned.  I did the SCT because I knew there were new drugs in the pipeline and I hoped to buy some time.  See if you can get on to the Rev or Velcade regimins.  I will keep you and yours in my thoughts. 

 

I was thalidamide for 9 months along with dex. Then I went to velcade and dex. Now I am on doxil and dex. My numbers keep getting better and better with these conventional treatments. It has not been a picnic though. Neuropathy is horrible! My doctor told me that he probably wouldn't recommend a transplant for me. He felt like the current treatment that is in place is going to send me to remission. He says that 100% remission in myeloma is rare. So I say all of this to get to this point. Everyone is different. No two of us that have myeloma are going to respond the same way to meds. Keep a VERY open line of communication with your doctor. He knows your husband's case better than ANYONE. I was intimidated at first with my doctor. I was afraid to ask those hard questions and you know the ones I'm talking about. But with God's help my wife and I have overcome being intimidated and we ask a LOT of questions. God has a plan for all of us. This is all happening just like He planned it. Hold on to your faith. After all that is about all we have to hold on to. God bless you. Poppy