For those of you who have been following along since the beginning (and thanks again for your support), or for those who are new to the journey, this week marks the 5-year anniversary of my autologous stem cell transplant (Christmas 2017). Stem cells were removed from my bone marrow, and then after a single, high-dose chemotherapy treatment to kill the remaining cancer, my cells were transplanted back into my bloodstream. This is a standard treatment for patients with Multiple Myeloma, but it only makes the myeloma go away for a time (albeit even years) - it doesn’t cure the cancer, and inevitably the myeloma returns.
Though the research and development has been going on for quite some time, in those five short years, the reliability (efficacy) of a new therapeutic option has: taken hold, been approved by the FDA, and become more readily available. As a matter of fact, there are even two competitive versions; the newer choice already being dramatically better than the fledgling offering. This is going to get a little sciency, but I know you can handle it: CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T cell) is a procedure/process that creates a medicine made from your own white blood cells (T-cells), which have been changed (genetically modified) to recognize and attack multiple myeloma cells after a single infusion. Quite simply, this works because T cells are already an existing part of the immune system that fight against infection - so these modified T cells come in and kick cancer's ass.
It's all part of the growing science of immuno-oncology, which basically uses the knowledge and tools of the body's inNate (in everyone) ability to protect us from foreign substances/infection (in this case - seeing cancer as an "infection"), and actually enhancing the immune system’s ability to fight off the disease on its own. Those of us with cancer such as myself, need the help of treatments like CAR-T which essentially level the playing field against the unchecked incursion of the dangerous malignancy. As odd as it may seem, with CAR-T for MM still being developed, the progression of my disease isn't bad enough for me to qualify yet for the therapy. But as my need slooooowly increases, the effect of the treatment exponentially improves, allowing for a rapidly shrinking time frame before my turn will come for this increasingly curative alternative (if not something even more betterer).
