Yes, my doctor tells me most people need long term maintenance to keep the myeloma at bay

I was diagnosed in August 2019,. I have been in complete remision, with no MRD or maintenance therapy for 2 years. I had the sensitive MRD test done, which detects very small numbers of cells that are not detectable in usual bloodwork. Not one was found! Hoping that lasts another 5 years post-diagnosis!

Myeloma starts in our stem cells. They have to figure out why our bone marrow makes them in the first place 😏

Hi Jean - good question - I think of MM as the remitting and relapsing disease. I consider myself "in remission" when the maintenance treatment I'm on is controlling the disease, and my test results are normal. (as normal as an MM patient can be)
A relapse is when the labs are no longer normal, and the MM shows signs of progression. That will be the time when my doctors will have to switch to a new line of therapy. That will involve getting the disease back under control and then utilizing maintenance therapy.
At the end of the day, I try not to dwell on this too much. It's too easy to get on the internet and "go down the rabbit hole." I'm an old accountant, and I love facts and stats. However, in this case, it's better for me to put my trust in God and not worry.
This may be more information that you needed. 😂. Hope you have a great day! Blessings!♥️

Thank you for your responses. Matt, you explained “remission” in a way I had not heard before. Thank you for the information.