Ripnlips, thank you for that great post! I am finishing my 12th round of induction therapy, and will switch to Maintenance on Aug. 27th. I have opted not to do ASCT at this time, due to the destruction of the immune system mainly. My induction treatments have brought my numbers into the normal range. So I will see how long My numbers remain "good" on Maintenance, and then take it from there. Until reading your post, I had never heard of BiSpecific antibodies. I will study them and see what I can learn! I have discussed CAR-T with my doctor, and he agrees that it is a great treatment, but said that for me, that is "way down the road" and not needed right now. I take that as good news. Bi Specific Antibodies sound even better! So the outlook is good. We all need to learn as much as we can about our options, and make informed decisions with our doctors. I am extremely optimistic about the future. This cancer is definitely TREATABLE. We just need to identify which treatment is best for us as individuals. Be of good courage!!! There is much hope, and much to be thankful for. 😄

There is also now the general availability of Cat-T cell therapy and BiSpecific Antibodies. They are very similar in that both train your T-cells to attack the cancer. Since BiSpecific does not require T-cell collection/programing/infusion, it is now more popular. My issue with them is they are extremely new and we do not have a lot of data. Especially on side effects and Cytokine release syndrome (CRS).
I highly recommend doing as much research as you can on these if you are thinking about going this route.
But this also begs the question, "Is complete remission necessary to control this disease?" I relapsed 10 months after my SCT and was heavily pushed by 2 oncologist to go the Car-T/BiSpecific route. Instead, I worked with oncologist to start another induction/maintenance therapy of traditional drugs using Empliciti and Pomalyst. In 2 months this dropped my numbers down to "near remission" and we are both satisfied that this is the therapy I should be on until I don't respond anymore. Then we can consider these newer therapies.
In my opinion, I think we need to be careful with the word "remission" for a type of cancer that is not curable. This type of cancer is "treatable".

While a Stem Cell Transplant is the Gold Standard for Multiple Myeloma treatment it depends on the specific conditions of your multiple myeloma, progression, your health, age, and other factors. Early diagnosis, stage, and recommendation by your healthcare team are considerations. I did not have an ASCT, but my local oncologist recommended it while my MM Specialist did not , saving it for later . It can be a personal choice under the right circumstances.

Marcia, I went into remission my third month on induction therapy. Did a full eight months of induction therapy and then when to maintain. So the answer to your question is yes. It depends on each person but you don’t always need an SCT. Many articles are now stating that an SCT is old protocol as the new meds are working. I’m glad I did not have an SCT that is very rough. Hope you are doing well!

Hi Marci6. As I am classed as old I have never been offered a stem cell transplant. I’m 77 and I live in Australia. It has been fantastic being on this site because I am learning so much. However what I am noticing more & more is the treatments & the costs associated with mm in your country.

Back to your Question. I am in partial remission. I have achieved that by only taking Revlimid, Dexamethasone & Zometa to strengthen my bones. I have been diagnosed with partial kidney failure. That improved over the last month. In the last few months I have had a CT scan of my back, pet scan, and a 24 hour urine test. I saw my Haematologist once a month and now I see him every three months and I’ve been taken off all drugs associated with mm. Best wishes in your journey with mm. I am a Christian and contribute the power of prayer & a merciful and loving that by His grace I am almost four years since diagnosis.