I had a transplant on December 20, 2017. So 7 years and 3 months ago. I did not have a good response to induction. My doctors and I were not worried about trials, to be honest. We just wanted something to knock down my myeloma. I got a VGPR to transplant. So a 90% reduction in my myeloma. We were all surprised that it worked at all. I started Darzalex, Pomalyst and dexamethasone 78 days after my transplant. I was supposed to start 60 days post, but I got sepsis, again. I am still on Darzalex and Pomalyst. I dropped the dex a few years back. So transplant was a good option for me. I couldn't worry about secondary cancers etc. I was just trying to live another week. Dr. Nooka tells me that I am lucky to have my myeloma controlled for as long as mine has been. Knock on wood 🪵. I don't know anyone that's overjoyed to get any kind of transplant. I was scared to death. But,for some of us, it is a great treatment option to have. Especially when you have already tried 3 or 4 other protocols. I am still not MRD negative. I might not ever be. But, I am doing well. Grateful to be here. 😀

I would save that option and try DarzalexFasPro first. I think damaging your immune system, and becoming easy prey to sepsis, infections of any kind, would make it hard to have a normal life. In my opinion, if you only have so many years to live, why not have quality of life?
Paula🌹

What they told you was Only for those who had the Worst Case Response to Induction Treatment. Everything about the SCT Determination Trial's Report is based on Out Dated Treatments, and Testing Methods.

This is a $30 Billion Dollar Industry, during the past 10 years for the US alone -
In the United States, around 15,000 autologous stem cell transplants are performed annually for MM.
Globally, estimates suggest 30,000 to 40,000 ASCTs are conducted each year.

This exists based on the Results from a Trial started in 2010 that had 365 People Receive the SCT vs 357 without a SCT.

The total cost of an ASCT procedure typically ranges from $100,000 to $300,000.
Includes hospitalization, stem cell collection, conditioning chemotherapy, the transplant procedure, post-transplant care, and follow-up treatments.
Costs can increase if there are complications, additional treatments, or extended hospital stays.
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The Determination Trial, which is why Everyone is told to get a SCT, had a total of 722 Participants (357 No SCT - 365 SCT), started in 2010 - based on an Outdated Three Med Treatment Plan of RVd and an Outdated Testing Method of 10 -5 (no cancer per 100,000 cells) vs the much deeper 10 -6 (no cancer per million cells).

As of July 2024, DarzFasPro+RVd is now the FDA Standard of Care for First Line Treatment.

Very fortunately, in 2021 I was able to get DarzFasPro+RVd.
My Labs document that I returned to Normal Labs in 5 weeks, from the Starting Point of Stage 2 - 5915 IgA Kappa w/ t4;14.

End part 1:

Not clear on your question Wendi. Do you mean “what percentage of myeloma cells come back in your marrow” or “what percentage of people don’t attain remission” or what?
I had the stem cell transplant to hopefully get deeper remission (and I did! 💯 complete). I was told that typically you relapse in approximately FOUR years if you have the SCT and typically TWO if you don’t have one.
(Remission means no detectable cancer cells.)
😊