Most US doctors suggest “until disease progression” based on a study showing the duration of survival without myeloma progression was 38.9 months for Revlimid maintenance compared to
20 months
for no maintenance therapy.
What is Revlimid maintenance?
REVLIMID is
the only multiple myeloma treatment FDA approved for maintenance therapy after an auto-HSCT
. Clinical trials include 2 studies of REVLIMID as a maintenance therapy after an auto-HSCT.
How long is maintenance therapy?
There is some debate about the optimal length of maintenance therapy. Most European doctors will have a fixed duration (
2-3 years
) of maintenance therapy but that could be related to approvals by European regulatory agencies.
How long is Revlimid effective?
Results showed that patients receiving Revlimid lived
39 months
without their disease worsening, compared with 20 months for the observation arm. This translated into a 54% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death.
How effective is Revlimid in treating multiple myeloma?
Patients who took REVLIMID and dexamethasone continuously had a
75% response rate
compared to 73% of patients who took REVLIMID and dexamethasone for only 18 months and 62% of patients who took the combination of melphalan, prednisone, and thalidomide.
When do you start lenalidomide maintenance?
After autologous stem cell transplant, lenalidomide maintenance can be started
after adequate hematologic recovery
(absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/μL and/or platelet count ≥ 75,000/μL).
How often does multiple myeloma relapse?
One 2016 study looked at relapse rates in 511 participants with multiple myeloma following treatment in 2006–2014. Within a 12-month period, 16% of the participants experienced early relapse. However,
84% had a relapse after 1 year or no relapse at the time of the follow-up
.
When does remission start?
To qualify as remission,
your tumor either doesn’t grow back or stays the same size for a month after you finish treatments
. A complete remission means no signs of the disease show up on any tests. That doesn’t mean your cancer is gone forever. You can still have cancer cells somewhere in your body.
How often do you get maintenance chemo?
Depending on the drug or combination of drugs, each treatment can last a few hours or a few days. You may have treatments
every week or every 2, 3 or 4 weeks
.
How long can chemotherapy extend life?
For most cancers where palliative chemotherapy is used, this number ranges from
3-12 months
. The longer the response, the longer you can expect to live.
What happens when you stop Revlimid?
No, stopping Revlimid treatment doesn’t cause withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms weren’t reported as a side effect in people taking the medication in clinical studies. But if you stop taking Revlimid,
your condition could worsen
. You could also experience more symptoms of the condition.
Can you live 20 years with multiple myeloma?
While multiple myeloma doesn’t yet have a cure and can be fatal, patients’ life expectancies vary widely, according to Jens Hillengass, MD, Chief of Myeloma at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. “
I have seen patients live from several weeks to more than 20 years after being diagnosed
,” Dr. Hillengass says.
What is the best time of day to take Revlimid?
The tablets should be swallowed whole with water and needs to be taken on an empty stomach either one hour before or two hours after food. Lenalidomide can be taken at any time of the day but it is best to take it at
approximately the same time each day
.
How long does Revlimid work for multiple myeloma?
The results of the study showed that Revlimid plus dexamethasone was effective in treating multiple myeloma. People taking this combination of drugs lived about
58.9 months
after starting treatment. In comparison, people taking MPT lived about 48.5 months after starting treatment.
How good is Revlimid?
User Reviews for Revlimid. Revlimid has an
average rating of 6.7 out of 10
from a total of 17 ratings on Drugs.com. 63% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 25% reported a negative effect.
What happens if you stop treatment for multiple myeloma?
But when treatment stops working,
myeloma cells start growing again
. It’s called a relapse. Relapse is common for people with multiple myeloma. In fact, this cancer is known as a “remitting and relapsing” disease.
How does lenalidomide work in multiple myeloma?
Lenalidomide exerts its distinct anti myeloma effects by
altering the myeloma microenvironment
. In multiple myeloma, osteoclasts lead to bone resorption and secrete survival factors for MM cells.
What is the cost of Revlimid?
Celgene launched Revlimid in 2005 at a price of $215 per pill. After more than 20 price hikes, the drug now costs
$763 per pill
, or $16,023 per month.
What are the side effects of lenalidomide?
- diarrhea.
- rash.
- nausea.
- constipation.
- tiredness or weakness.
- fever.
- itching.
Does multiple myeloma always return?
If you have multiple myeloma,
there’s a good chance it will come back after successful treatment
. When this happens, it’s called recurrent or relapsed. If it doesn’t respond to treatment or comes back within 60 days after your last therapy, it’s known as refractory.
How do you know if myeloma is back?
Your doctor will learn that you have relapsed multiple myeloma
if your symptoms start up again after a period of being symptom-free
. They’ll also make a diagnosis if your blood or urine tests show high levels of myeloma protein, which the cancer cells release.
Does exercise help multiple myeloma?
Physical activity has been shown to improve quality of life in cancer patients with some evidence in multiple myeloma
.
Does 5 year survival rate mean you have 5 years to live?
Most importantly,
five-year survival doesn’t mean you will only live five years
. Instead it relates to the percentage of people in research studies who were still alive five years after diagnosis.
What happens after 5 year survival rate?
The 5-year relative survival rate includes
people in remission
. Remission is the temporary or permanent absence of disease. This survival rate also includes those still receiving treatment.
How long does remission last?
Remission means that the signs and symptoms of your cancer are reduced. Remission can be partial or complete. In a complete remission, all signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared. If you remain in complete remission for
5 years or more
, some doctors may say that you are cured.
