What are the treatments for post stem cell elevation in myeloma proteins?
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High levels of myeloma protein in the blood plasma and urine could be caused by the growth of a new kidney or by the buildup of proteins that don’t need to be there because they don’t get rid of them fast enough. To get rid of these unneeded proteins, doctors prescribe various temporary or permanent treatments. You can read on to learn about the common treatments for post-stem cell elevation in myeloma proteins.
One common treatment for post-stem cell elevation in myeloma proteins is a kidney transplant. This is because the unneeded proteins can build up in the kidneys and cause them to fail. If the kidneys fail, the body will start to break down muscle tissue to get the necessary nutrients. This process can lead to serious health problems, including death.
Another common treatment for post-stem cell elevation in myeloma proteins is bortezomib. Bortezomib is a type of drug that helps to kill cancer cells. It does this by damaging the cancer cell’s DNA. This can lead to their death. Bortezomib is usually given as an intravenous injection.
Other treatments, both temporary and permanent, are also available. Temporary treatments include steroids and radiation therapy. These treatments help to reduce the amount of myeloma protein in the blood and urine. Permanent treatments include stem cell transplant and a combination
Stem cell transplantation
A stem cell transplant is a permanent cure for myeloma. This treatment is recommended when the myeloma blood cell elevation is found in the post-transplant period, which is the 5 years or so after the stem cell transplant. If the myeloma hasn’t been treated by the time the post-transplant period begins, doctors give lenalidomide to stop the myeloma from coming back. In stem cell transplantation, the stem cells taken from a healthy person’s bone marrow are transplanted into the diseased person’s bone marrow. The healthy bone marrow makes healthy blood cells and tissues, and the diseased bone marrow replaces the diseased bone marrow. When myeloma patients have a lot of myeloma proteins in their blood, this treatment works very well.
Immunosuppressive drugs
In the advanced stage of myeloma, myeloma proteins build up in the blood, which weakens the immune system and makes it less able to fight off infections. However, the immune system can still fight off infections, albeit at a slower rate. This condition, known as immunosuppression, makes the patient vulnerable to infections. Immunosuppressants are given to patients with myeloma to prevent the immune system from becoming overactive and causing infections. Many kinds of immunosuppressants treat different kinds of cancers. Some examples of these are azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, and corticosteroids.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is cancer treatment by giving patients drugs that kill cancer cells but not the healthy cells around them. The drugs used for chemotherapy are often cytotoxic, meaning they are toxic to the myeloma cells and not the healthy cells. Many types of cytotoxic drugs are used to treat myeloma. These drugs attack cancer cells, causing DNA damage and eventually killing them. Therefore, the more myeloma cells are damaged, the less they can grow and spread. The white blood cells also do not function well, so the patient has lower immunity than normal. This means that they are vulnerable to infections.
Acute Phase Reaction (APR) treatment
Acute phase reaction is a symptom, not a treatment. This occurs when the body is in severe condition and the cells are damaged due to the myeloma proteins in the blood. It is like a sort of “shock” that the body receives when the cells are damaged. The body tries to fight the “shock” with the help of the immune system. To prevent this shock from affecting the healthy cells, the white blood cells and platelets are activated to repair the damage. There are many types of APR treatment. For example, corticosteroids help reduce inflammation, blood donations, platelet transfusion, bone marrow transplantation, and plasmapheresis.
Conclusion
Myeloma is a form of blood cancer affecting the bone marrow plasma cells. The plasma cells are responsible for producing antibodies in the body. They help fight infections by making antibodies to fight off bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances in the body. This article discussed some common treatments for myeloma protein post-stem cell elevation. The most important treatment is a stem cell transplant, which works very well if the myeloma is found in the first few months after the transplant. Myeloma can be treated with chemotherapy, but it is not recommended in the early stages of the disease. Acute phase reaction treatment is used to help the body deal with the shock of the myeloma cells being damaged.