New therapy shows promise for multiple myeloma patients
Arizona woman credits CAR-T cell treatment with changing her life after decadelong battle with rare blood cancer
(InvestigateTV) — Nearly 200,000 people in the United States live with multiple myeloma, a cancer that occurs when a type of white blood cell grows out of control, causing low blood counts, bone and calcium problems, frequent infections and kidney damage.
According to the American Cancer Society, when traditional chemotherapy doesn’t work, one treatment, called CAR T-cell therapy, uses genetically modified cells to fight the cancer.
In 2024, the Food and Drug Administration eliminated some barriers to that care to increase patient access. Since then, one type of this therapy has seen promising results.
Patient credits treatment with life change
It’s been a decade since Susan Lehman was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare type of blood cancer that develops in plasma cells in bone marrow.
“It’s treatable, but it’s not curable,” Lehman said.
Over the years, the 60-year-old mother of four has been in and out of remission. She’s undergone two stem cell transplants and several other treatments.
Then, her oncologist, Dr. Sumit Madan of Banner Health, had her try something new: CARVYKTI.
“These types of therapies have been revolutionizing the way we treat multiple myeloma now,” Madan said.
According to CARVYKTI’s website, the process involves collecting, genetically modifying and re-infusing white blood cells to attack the cancer. One treatment takes about two to three months to complete.
Just two months in, Lehman said, the immunotherapy has made a big difference.
“Since then, I’m back out hiking,” she said.
How the therapy works
CARVYKTI is an option for multiple myeloma patients when traditional cancer treatments are no longer effective.
“It utilizes the patient’s own immune cells to act against the cancer cells,” Madan said.
It’s been approved for three years, and new longer-term data from a study show that CARVYKTI doesn’t just slow the progression of the disease; it also helps patients live longer.
“Historically, the outcome of these patients is pretty poor, with the average survival of under a year,” Madan said.
It’s being hailed as a major medical breakthrough, even a possible cure.
“If you look at the average age of when a patient with multiple myeloma is diagnosed, they’re about 70 years and so if I’m able to keep that patient alive for the next 10 to 15 years and they’re not dying from their cancer, then to me it is a cure,” Madan said.
The words “cure” and “cancer” in the same sentence encourage patients like Lehman to keep fighting.
“I just can’t even fathom, I really can’t. It just would change my life,” Lehman said.
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