Jeanette, there are few questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no when it comes to myeloma.🥴 They want the cancerous plasma cells to be at the lowest point possible going in to transplant.

Jeanette, you've asked an interesting question. I asked Doctor Google about the success rate of SCT - It replied:

"Of the 750 patients with evaluable samples after autologous stem cell transplantation, 63.3% were MRD-negative.Sep 10, 2021"

My question is why only 63%. This is a similar percentage to the Case Studies I've read. Could it be due to the type of MM?
I wonder if there's a report that breaks it out by MM type?

Here's an interesting fact that I recently found. In years past, MRD Negative was considered to be 10 -4 (one cancer cell in ten thousand cells tested). When my Doc originally discussed MRD testing, they were interested in seeing 10 -5 (one in 100 thousand cells tested) to declare me MRD Negative. Now with the Next Generation testing method from clonoSEQ (discussed in an article on this forum about testing methods), they look for 10 -6 (one in one million cells tested) to declare MRD Negative. It seems that a result of 10 -6 will be a more durable Remission.

The good news is through research and development - there's a clear path of improved understanding as to what it means to be MRD Negative.

The MRD-SURE Report that suggests MRD Negative Monitoring (with no MM Meds) being viable (for 0 and 1 high risk factors), is based on the 10 -6 definition of MRD Negative.

I can't answer your question. Being that I never had a SCT but again your oncologist should be the person to ask.

No. That is how they find .ost is due to platelets.

I don’t know what to say