Multiple myeloma grows in your bone marrow, where blood cells are made. Left untreated, this disease can take a serious toll on your body, leading to life-threatening complications.
So, how Long Can You Live with Multiple Myeloma Without Treatment?
Without medical care or strong medications like Lenalidomide, the average survival time is usually less than a year, but the exact number depends on how aggressive the cancer is and the state of your health when symptoms appear.
If you don’t get chemotherapy or don’t get any treatment at all, you might get 7 months at most, although even with minimal treatment, sometimes you can extend your lifespan all the way to 20 years.
Why Do People Consider Not Going Through Multiple Myeloma Treatment?
Deciding whether to go through treatment for multiple myeloma isn’t easy, and many people have their reasons for thinking twice. Here are some of the main factors:
- Cost: Cancer treatments can be expensive, and the financial burden, even with insurance, can be a major concern. For instance, Lenalidomide prices can go up as high as $15,500, but generic versions of Lenalidomide are cheaper even with higher dosages, like Lenalidomide 25mg.
- Side Effects: Treatments can cause things like fatigue, nausea, and infections, which can be tough to handle.
- Age or Other Health Issues: For older people or those already dealing with other health problems, the treatment might feel too much on top of everything else.
- Quality of Life: Some might not want to go through harsh treatments if it means feeling worse day-to-day, especially if the treatment’s impact is unclear.
- Emotional Strain: The stress of constant treatments, doctor visits, and uncertainty can make some people decide they’d rather avoid it.
- Limited Effectiveness: In the later stages of the disease, when treatment may not make much of a difference, some people opt to focus on comfort instead.
Ultimately, each person has to decide what feels right for them, often after a lot of thought and conversations with doctors and family. The biggest concern is whether if you can afford multiple myeloma treatment cost, but living without treatment is also not solution.
What Happens Without Treatment?
Without treatment, multiple myeloma aggressively spreads throughout the body, largely impacting organs and bones.
- Early Stages: At first, the signs of multiple myeloma are easy to miss. You might feel tired all the time or have dull, constant pain in your back or bones. These early signs might seem minor, but the disease is already damaging your bones and straining your kidneys. By this point, doctors might prescribe lenalidomide 5mg or lenalidomide 10mg to slow the disease and manage symptoms.
- Advanced Progression: As the disease gets worse, the symptoms become harder to ignore. Bones can get so weak that even small bumps or falls cause breaks. Kidney problems may show up as cancer proteins block your body’s filters. Severe fatigue, anemia, and frequent infections can wear you down. At this stage, survival often drops to just a few months without treatment. The only option is to use stronger doses to fight the fast-spreading cancer. If a high dose isn’t suitable due to side effects, lenalidomide 15mg might be given instead.
Why Treatment Makes a Difference
Modern treatment significantly extends life expectancy and improves quality of life for patients with multiple myeloma. Therapies can reduce cancerous cells, delay disease progression, and alleviate symptoms.
Extended Survival
With treatments, the average survival rate has increased dramatically. Patients live 7 to 10 years or longer, with many experiencing extended remission periods.
Preventing Complications
Early treatment prevents life-threatening issues like kidney failure and severe bone fractures. For example, bisphosphonates strengthen bones, reducing the risk of fractures, while proteasome inhibitors target and destroy cancerous cells.
Improved Quality of Life
Effective treatments alleviate pain, increase energy, and strengthen immunity. Many patients return to daily activities with reduced discomfort and fewer complications.
Key Medications for Multiple Myeloma
As you can see, it’s incredibly important to start treatment as early as possible. Doing this involves advanced medications that work together to control the disease and improve survival. Below are key drug categories and their side effects.
1. Proteasome Inhibitors
Proteasome inhibitors disrupt the ability of myeloma cells to process and eliminate proteins, forcing them to die. These drugs form the backbone of many treatment regimens.
Examples:
- Bortezomib (Velcade)
- Carfilzomib (Kyprolis)
- Ixazomib (Ninlaro)
How They Work
Proteasome inhibitors directly target the machinery that cancer cells use to survive. By disrupting their protein breakdown processes, the drugs halt tumor growth and eventually lead to cancer cell death.
Side Effects
These can include fatigue, peripheral neuropathy, and nausea, but most are manageable with supportive care.
2. Immunomodulatory Drugs (IMiDs)
Immunomodulatory drugs boost the immune system to attack myeloma cells while preventing tumor growth. These drugs have changed the landscape of treatment, with lenalidomide standing out as one of the most effective options.
Examples:
- Lenalidomide
- Pomalidomide
- Thalidomide
How They Work
IMiDs not only boost the immune system but also slow the growth of myeloma cells and prevent the formation of new blood vessels that help the tumor grow. Lenalidomide, for instance, has shown effectiveness in treating both newly diagnosed and relapsed cases.
Side Effects
Common side effects include low blood counts, fatigue, and an increased risk of blood clots. Preventative measures, such as prescribing blood thinners, are often used.
3. Monoclonal Antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies are designed to attach to specific proteins on myeloma cells, marking them for destruction by the immune system.
Examples:
- Daratumumab (Darzalex)
- Isatuximab (Sarclisa)
- Elotuzumab (Empliciti)
Mechanism of Action
These antibodies bind to targets like CD38 on myeloma cells, recruiting the immune system to destroy them. When used alongside drugs like lenalidomide, they further enhance treatment outcomes.
Side Effects
Initial treatments may cause mild reactions such as fever or chills, but these mostly subside after the first few doses.
Signs of Untreated Multiple Myeloma
When multiple myeloma isn’t treated, the symptoms can become overwhelming:
- Bone Pain and Fractures: Myeloma weakens bones, making even small movements painful. Fractures become common, especially in the spine and ribs.
- Kidney Problems: Cancerous proteins can clog up your kidneys, leading to failure if untreated.
- Fatigue and Anemia: You’ll feel constantly tired as your red blood cell count drops.
- Frequent Infections: A weakened immune system makes you vulnerable to illnesses that could otherwise be manageable.
Why Early Treatment Matters
One problem with waiting too long is that the cancer can become resistant to drugs.
This makes it tougher to treat and can limit your options. By getting into treatment early, doctors can use different therapies that work better together and help prevent this from happening.
Untreated myeloma also weakens bones, leading to painful fractures. These fractures can cause serious problems and often require surgery. Treating the disease early helps keep your bones stronger, so the chances of breaking something go down.
In the end, starting treatment early doesn’t just give you more time, it also helps you live better. The sooner treatment starts, the better you can protect your health and avoid long-term damage.
Parting Words
So, how long can you live with Multiple Myeloma without treatment? The answer in short is, not long at all.
But there’s no reason to leave it be at this point, even costs won’t be a hassle.
Multiple myeloma is a tough disease, but there’s a lot more hope today than there used to be. If left untreated, it can progress quickly and cause serious problems.
But with the right treatment, people can manage it better and live longer. New treatments like monoclonal antibodies and especially CAR T-cell therapy are making a real difference.
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed, getting help early is the best way to take control and improve both how long and how well you live.
