Hi Virginia. I've been on Myeloma treatments pretty much constantly since 2017. You can ask your doctor if it's okay to stop your treatment for 4 weeks. It depends on where you are in treatment and how aggressive your myeloma is. I have had to stop treatments for ruptured appendix, having Covid or just a bad sinus infection, etc. Some people are allowed to stop a month of treatments just so they feel better on a once in a lifetime vacation, family wedding etc. We can't answer this for you, so check with your doctor π
Stopping myeloma medications, even for a short period, can be risky as it may allow the cancer to progress. Multiple myeloma is treated as a marathon, not a sprint, and maintaining consistent treatment is crucial for keeping the cancer under control. Stopping treatment could lead to:
β’ Disease relapse or progression
β’ Show Full Answer
Learn to understand your Labs and the Blood Test clonoSEQ for MRD Negative status.
Living long term on MM Meds will absolutely greatly diminish your Immune System - this can leave a person very venerable to serious infections and secondary cancers.
Depending on your Stage of MM, such as MGUS or SMM, there's plenty of people that have it under control with a Plant Based Diet, key Supplements and very routine exercise.
Dr Urvi Shah has performed a successful Case Study based on this premise.
https://www.survivornet.com/articles/diet-inter...
https://healthtree.org/myeloma/community/articl...
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/clinical-tria...
Look at Dr William Li - https://drwilliamli.com/
He has a much better understanding about this and with far more research and details. Watch his free Videos and consider his Book - Eat to Beat Disease -
If your MM is more progressed, Treatment Meds like DarzFasPro can be extremely effective at killing off MM very quickly. Provided that your Labs confirm and you become clonoSEQ MRD Negative (a blood sample test showing No Cancer per million cells tested), it's possible to Consider Monitoring without MM Meds, As Long As You Remain MRD Negative.
I track my original Stage 2 MM, from 2021, now without any MM Meds with Monthly Labs and Quarterly clonoSEQ Blood Testing.
I'm also of the opinion, based on very extensive research, that Not Collecting Stem Cells and Not Getting a SCT is significantly Safer for the Health of the Bone Marrow's Microbiome, which makes it Far More likely for Monitoring After MM Treatment, More Likely to be Successful.
See the Testimonials of Dr Berenson in California.
https://berensoncancercenter.com/testimonials/
He's not done a SCT or Collected Stem Cells since 2000.
His Treatment Success of MM is among the very Best of Any MM Specialist.