When Deidre was diagnosed with a precursor condition to multiple myeloma she enrolled in a brand-new clinical trial being conducted at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Deidre and her doctor, Dana-Farber's Irene Ghobrial, MD, explain more in this video. Learn more about research being done in our Center for Prevention of Progression:https://www.dana-farber.org/center-for-prevention-of-progression/research/
Routine blood work led to Deirdre getting diagnosed with MGa's or monoclonal Ganapathy. It's a precursor condition to multiple myeloma. And her doctor in California told her she should watch to see if things got worse before having any treatments. Very scary, very scary and it's hard to wait. Deirdre did some research and she learned of a brand new clinical trial being conducted at Dana Farber Cancer Institute specific. Typically for people with multiple myeloma precursor conditions. She traveled to boston to meet with Dana Farber's dr Irene Gabrielle. If you see a woman with breast cancer you never tell her you have stage one or stage two breast cancer. Why don't we wait until you have metastasis everywhere and then I treat you. That's basically myeloma. The problem is we are still telling people wait until you have metastasis and then I treat you Deirdre found out her was actually a high higher risk condition called smoldering myeloma which increased her chances of disease progression. Smoldering myeloma just like the name, it's smoldering. It's ready to go on fire any time now Deirdre became the first person treated for smoldering myeloma with a bi specific antibody called Mab she's young, she's active and she does not believe that waiting for things to fall apart is the right answer. And we we're fortunate enough that we were opening the trial and she chose to be the first participant. First person ever to receive immunotherapy for smoldering Deirdre spent several days in the hospital and several weeks in boston getting initial treatments. Then she would fly out here every week for additional treatments. Eventually getting to space her visits out to every two weeks. So each monday I come to the clinic and Get it's a subcutaneous injection into the stomach. The trial is expanding and Deirdre hopes she may be able to receive future injections closer to home as she will continue treatment for two years and then be followed long term to see how she does for being high risk. I was at what a 60% chance of developing multiple myeloma progressing within a few years after two months, I'm almost at a complete response.
