Prolonged use of Revlimid/lenalidomide can be a cause for contracting other cancers. To reiterate, it can be.

When the 17p deletion is found on our myeloma cells, it's called a somatic mutation, meaning an aquired mutation. It does not mean we are laking the short arm of chromosome 17 in the rest if our body's cells. Very important to understand this.

April 2023 High risk myeloma
July 2026 lung cancer stage 4
want to share some vital clarification regarding the risk of a "second cancer" (secondary malignancy) that doctors sometimes warn high-risk myeloma patients about.
1. Aggressive myeloma treatments (like heavy chemotherapy or long-term immunomodulatory drugs) work incredibly hard to break down the DNA of cancer cells [Cancer Research UK]. Over many years, this heavy treatment strain can inadvertently stress healthy stem cells in the bone marrow, which is why doctors monitor us closely [Cancer Research UK].
2. The Genetic Blueprint: For those of us with high-risk markers like the del(17p) mutation, our cancer cells lack the TP53 "guardian" gene [Cancer Research UK]. Because this built-in brake system is missing, the body's overall immune surveillance is naturally more vulnerable to secondary issues
But do not let this news make you lose heart! Advanced tracking tools like mass spectrometry now give our specialists incredible, microscopic visibility to monitor our numbers and keep us perfectly safe.

Yes, we absolutely can. That's why we have to get all our routine screenings.

They’re testing me for maybe a second cancer,haven’t heard from my doctor yet.