It's actually quite common to still have signs of myeloma after an autologous stem cell transplant. Doctors monitor for something called minimal residual disease (MRD) — small numbers of myeloma cells that can remain after treatment. MRD testing helps predict how well treatment is working.
Many MyMyelomaTeam members have Show Full Answer
It's actually quite common to still have signs of myeloma after an autologous stem cell transplant. Doctors monitor for something called minimal residual disease (MRD) — small numbers of myeloma cells that can remain after treatment. MRD testing helps predict how well treatment is working.
Many MyMyelomaTeam members have shared similar experiences, and it's important to know that having remaining myeloma cells doesn't mean treatment has failed — it guides what comes next. After a transplant where myeloma signs are still present, treatment typically moves into a maintenance phase. Here's what that generally looks like:
- Maintenance therapy — ongoing medications to sustain the transplant's response and keep myeloma under control for as long as possible
- Continuous therapy — treatment continues until the myeloma progresses, at which point the plan is reassessed
- Tandem transplant — for some younger patients with poor initial responses, a second planned transplant a few months later may be considered
- New drug combinations — your oncologist may adjust medications based on your treatment history and current response
The goal is to extend remission and progression-free survival for as long as possible. Always discuss your specific MRD results and options with your care team, as treatment is highly personalized.
July 10
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