Considerations for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

      Multiple myeloma is incurable and heterogeneous, with survival periods ranging from a few months to more than 10 years. Low-risk patients and high-risk patients alike must face many problems such as recurrence, progression, and difficulty in treatment. As a result, many patients travel thousands of miles to seek the best treatment and longer remission time, and do not hesitate to pay a lot of money. However, there are often anxious to find a doctor, looking for a number of famous doctors, get several different opinions, and in the end do not know how to choose.  1, respect for the objective laws of things is the first priority. Multiple myeloma cannot make a breakthrough and achieve a complete cure. However, it should be borne in mind that the majority of patients have a slow progression of the disease, and for such diseases, if the treatment plan is effective, do not change it at will! Otherwise, it is very easy to lead to drug resistance. In general, if the treatment does not work after 2 to 3 courses of treatment, the program should be adjusted. Do not rush to get the maximum efficacy, as long as it is effective, we must insist on using it, not change it, unless it is intolerable.  2, the same disease, there can be a variety of treatment options, there is no best, the most expensive drug combination (Vanco + Ralidomide + liposomal Adriamycin) program is the best? Not necessarily! As long as it works, it is the best. Many family members of patients, after treatment at local hospitals, come to the hospital to consult on treatment options and get several opinions from famous doctors, how to choose? Remember: if the treatment works, stick with it! Don’t change the treatment plan easily.  3. Myeloma will gradually develop drug resistance. At present, there are only 10 kinds of drugs available for the treatment of this disease in China, so if you change the treatment plan frequently, it is very easy to lead to drug resistance. Therefore, arbitrary change of treatment plan is especially taboo! The adjustment of the treatment plan is not based on expert opinion, but on the patient’s efficacy!  4, relapsed, refractory patients pay particular attention to the above matters.  Each physician chooses a treatment plan based on his or her experience and “crosses the river by feeling the stones”. The so-called stones are clinical experience and patient indicators, especially the patient’s clinical indicators (medical history, past history, symptoms, signs, auxiliary test results, etc.). As for the efficacy, it is unpredictable whether the “river” can be successfully crossed. This point requires the understanding of patients and their families.  6, clinical treatment indications, must be grasped by the attending physician. It is not an absolute contraindication to treat a patient with a serious condition, please follow the opinion of the doctor in charge. If treatment is not given, it is easy to miss the time for treatment. Many cases are caused by myeloma disease itself, such as anemia, pathological fracture leading to bed rest, renal insufficiency leading to kidney failure, etc. Only by controlling the primary disease as soon as possible can patients get better, and symptomatic supportive treatment alone is not enough. Of course, some cases can not be chemotherapy, such as serious infection, etc., must listen to the advice of the competent physician.  7, doctor-patient communication, doctor-patient mutual trust, doctor-patient cooperation, doctor-patient win-win. This is the premise of treatment. Without communication, it is difficult to trust each other; without mutual trust, it is difficult to cooperate; without cooperation, it is difficult to win together.  8.Multiple myeloma is a chronic process, so do not forget to consolidate maintenance treatment after induction of remission; especially after relapse, more attention should be paid to consolidation of maintenance treatment after induction of remission. It is not possible to stop treatment immediately because complete remission has been achieved. For various reasons, some patients stop all treatment after 4~6 courses of induction therapy, which is not appropriate. Complete remission is only the degree of remission, it does not mean how long it can be maintained. Under the current conditions, since myeloma cannot be cured, we should pursue a longer “peaceful coexistence” with myeloma, which is also called progression-free survival and survival with tumor. This requires consolidation and maintenance therapy after induction therapy.