Multiple myeloma treatments triple survival rates, but diagnosis remains a challenge
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In Argentina, advances in treating multiple myeloma, a blood cancer affecting plasma cells in the bone marrow, have tripled patient survival rates in recent decades.
The disease primarily affects older adults and can be difficult to diagnose early because its initial symptoms often mimic common health problems. Doctors Gastón Caeiro and Cristian Seehaus explain that the disease occurs when abnormal plasma cells multiply in the bone marrow, interfering with normal function and producing an abnormal protein.
In 2022, an estimated 1,059 new cases of multiple myeloma were diagnosed in Argentina, and around 3,172 people were living with a diagnosis from the previous five years. The Fundación Argentina de Mieloma (FAM) is working to raise awareness of the disease and improve early diagnosis. Diagnosis involves blood tests, urine analysis, bone marrow punctures, and imaging studies to assess bone involvement.
Treatment options have changed significantly with the introduction of targeted therapies, antibodies, and strategies that harness the patient’s own immune system. These advances have extended average survival to around ten years, although access to these treatments varies. Researchers are exploring innovative treatments like CAR-T cell therapy, which genetically modifies a patient’s own immune cells to attack the cancer, though it is not yet widely approved in Argentina.
Doctors emphasize that treatment aims not only to control the disease but also to maintain patient quality of life and well-being.
