I am so sorry for the loss of your dear husband. To answer both questions, there is no definative answer. Every person is different. I will post some guidelines from Medifocus (medifocus.com) and this is what they say about end stage. Patients can live up to 10 years with this disease but if also depends on age, health, secondary infection, diet, positive thinking etc. Here is what medifocus says." Mean survival of MM patients are 3 years and up to 10 or longer depending on the stage.
Median survivial: stage 1 5.-2 years Stage ll 3.7 years Stage lll 2.4 yrs
Other performances status noted are a measure of how well patients were able to perform routine activiites without requiring assistance. Myeloma cell labeling index, a measure of how fast the cancerous plasma cells are growing, HIgh levels of the lactate dehydrogenase enzyme. Chromosomal abonormalities detected, but not seen in all patients. In general prognosis for patients with High risk is less favourable than the low risk." It just seems to be a series of factors. Kidney involvement seems to be another factor, bloodwork results etc. So it is still a guessing game in my opinion. Take care all mms.
On 4/19/2008
t Timing wrote:
I, myself, would also like to know the answer to your question. I imagine the symptoms depend on if the patient is recieving any drug therapies, there overall general health, and if they had had any stem cell transplants.
My husband, age 57, died last week in his sleep as we were returning home for Arkansas where he had been recieving treatment. He had been in the cancer hospital or a rehabilitaion hospital since Jan. 4, 2008. While in the hopital he had been treated for RSV, double pneumonia, graph vs host disease, and a few minor infections or complications.
He had two stem cell transplants, the last one in March 2007, and had never had maintenance drugs as he had been bothered with skin rashed and peeling due to the graph versus host disease. A oncologist in MO did not feel he should have maintenance as it would kill him. I now think he was right. When he died, he had been taking Thalidomid for approx. 3-4 weeks, along with prednisone and I believe dexamehasone.