Multiple myeloma, a blood cancer once considered a dire diagnosis, has seen a remarkable transformation in recent years, evolving from a virtual death sentence into a highly treatable condition. This dramatic shift is attributed to significant advancements in treatment modalities.
Judith Harding, diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2009, initially prepared for the worst, retiring from her career, selling her condo, and relocating closer to family as she braced for her battle with the disease. Similarly, Bill McHugh, who received a stem cell transplant in 2013 to combat the same blood cancer, shared his experience with three fellow patients facing a similar prognosis. Astonishingly, McHugh defied the odds, outlasting his initial grim prognosis.
Historically, individuals like McHugh and Harding would have been considered outliers. However, recent treatment innovations, including those introduced as recently as this month, have made their experiences increasingly typical rather than exceptional among multiple myeloma patients.
According to McHugh, who is now 59 and resides in New York City, “The steps we’re making are exponential. We went from the wheel to the Tesla to flying cars.”
The news of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s multiple myeloma diagnosis serves as a reminder of the disease’s presence. However, Scalise expressed optimism, stating that the condition was “very treatable.” Other notable figures, including newscaster Tom Brokaw, actor Roy Scheider, General Colin Powell, and former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, also faced multiple myeloma.
While multiple myeloma officially remains unpredictable and perilous, recent advancements in drug combinations and immunotherapies have enabled today’s patients to envision a life free from the disease.
Dr. Sundar Jagannath, a leading expert in multiple myeloma at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, shared his ability to reassure newly diagnosed 75-year-old patients that they are unlikely to succumb to multiple myeloma. He described the achievement of extending the life expectancy of elderly patients to that of individuals without cancer as a form of “cure.” For younger patients, the median life expectancy is now a decade or longer.
These improvements result from the early administration of newer treatments, enhancing their efficacy, and a promising pipeline of additional drugs on the horizon. Dr. Jagannath emphasized that if patients can be extended for the next 5 to 10 years, the prospect of a definitive cure becomes a tangible reality within their lifetime.