Many multiple myeloma treatments can target and reduce cancer cells, helping manage symptoms and control the disease. These therapies allow many people with multiple myeloma to live in remission — where signs of cancer are greatly reduced or undetectable — for years, and sometimes, even decades. Some people achieve such deep remission that their cancer never returns.

However, while researchers are making progress toward a cure, it’s still hard to say for sure that multiple myeloma is completely curable. Even when no cancer is detectable, tiny amounts of myeloma cells (called minimal residual disease) may remain and could grow back later.

Understanding Remission vs. Cure

The goal of cancer treatment is often to eliminate all visible signs of the disease. Doctors also hope to destroy microscopic cancer cells that tests can’t detect. If this happens, doctors may use terms like “remission” or “cure.” While these words sound similar, they mean very different things.

Remission From Myeloma

Remission means treatment has reduced cancer levels so much that there are no signs of it on tests. For people with multiple myeloma, remission may lead to:

• Higher red blood cell counts (which can improve energy levels)
• Lower calcium levels (reducing risks like kidney problems)
• Less bone pain
• Fewer bone lesions (damaged areas in the bone)
• Other signs of improved health

There are two types of remission:

• Partial remission — Some cancer cells remain, but the disease is less active, and symptoms improve.
• Complete remission — No cancer is found in blood tests or imaging scans, but small amounts of myeloma cells may still exist.

Even during remission, multiple myeloma isn’t truly gone — it’s just under control. That’s why regular checkups and follow-up tests are needed to watch for signs of relapse (when cancer returns). Some people in remission may stay on maintenance therapy — ongoing, low-dose treatment — to help prevent the cancer from coming back.

Treatments can kill many myeloma cells, but some may survive. Even in complete remission, a few hidden cancer cells may linger in the body, even if they can’t be detected by tests. Over time, the cancerous plasma cells may grow again, causing a relapse. Remission doesn’t guarantee the cancer is gone. There is still a chance that myeloma will return.

What Does ‘Cure’ Mean for Myeloma?

Doctors consider cancer to be cured when there are no cancer cells left anywhere in the body, and the disease will never return. A true cure means there is:

• No chance of a relapse
• No need for further treatment
• No need for follow-up testing

However, current tests can’t always detect tiny amounts of cancer. This is why doctors often say myeloma is in remission rather than cured, even if no cancer is found.

For many people, myeloma eventually returns. But for some, it never does. Ongoing research aims to develop treatments that could lead to lasting remissions — or even true cures — in the future. Studies are also exploring new ways to confirm whether myeloma is truly in complete remission or cured.

Can Myeloma Be Cured?

More than 90 percent of people with multiple myeloma respond to their first round of treatment, meaning their cancer shrinks or becomes less active​. Many achieve remission, but for most, the disease eventually relapses. The time between remission and relapse varies — some stay in remission for years, while others need additional treatment sooner. When myeloma relapses, doctors often use a different combination of therapies to try to restore remission​.

In the U.S., about 61 percent of people with multiple myeloma live for at least five years after being diagnosed. Those with high-risk genetic factors or severe illness at diagnosis may not live as long, while others may live much longer. Some people with multiple myeloma experience long-term remission that lasts decades. About 14 percent of people diagnosed in the 1990s and 2000s lived at least 20 years.

A 2024 study suggests that newer treatments are leading to deeper, long-lasting remissions — and even the possibility of a “practical cure” for some people. This means their myeloma remains undetectable and doesn’t require ongoing treatment​​.

Which Treatment Options Can Lead to Longer Survival?

Until recently, myeloma treatments were not very effective. Complete remissions were rare, and a cure was almost unheard of. However, recent advancements in cancer treatment have greatly extended survival for many people with myeloma.

Most of the latest multiple myeloma treatments fall under plasma cell-directed therapy, a category of drugs that target cancerous plasma cells while sparing healthy ones. These include:

• Targeted therapy drugs — Also called targeted antibodies, these attack specific receptors in myeloma cells. Examples include proteasome inhibitors like bortezomib (Velcade), carfilzomib (Kyprolis), and ixazomib (Ninlaro), as well as monoclonal antibodies such as daratumumab (Darzalex), elotuzumab (Empliciti), and isatuximab (Sarclisa).
• Immunomodulatory drugs (iMiDs) — These boost the immune system and slow myeloma cell growth. Common iMiDs include thalidomide (Thalomid), lenalidomide (Revlimid), and pomalidomide (Pomalyst).
• CAR T-cell therapy — Also called adoptive cell therapy, this is a personalized immunotherapy that modifies a person’s T cells to fight myeloma. FDA-approved options include idecabtagene vicleucel (Abecma) and ciltacabtagene autoleucel (Carvykti).
• Bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs) — Also known as bispecific antibodies, BiTes are a newer form of immunotherapy that helps immune cells attack myeloma directly. Examples include elranatamab (Elrexfio), teclistamab (Tecvayli), and talquetamab (Talvey).
• Nuclear export inhibitors — These drugs block XPO1, a protein that helps cancer cells survive. Selinexor (Xpovio) is the first FDA-approved XPO1 inhibitor, preventing this process and causing cancer cell death.

Every myeloma therapy option has potential benefits and potential risks. Your doctor can help you weigh the pros and cons of different treatments based on your stage of myeloma, age, overall health, and any other conditions you have.

Clinical Trials Help Advance Myeloma Treatments

Scientists are researching new treatments for multiple myeloma that could help more people go into remission and possibly be cured. These potential therapies are tested in clinical trials. People with multiple myeloma may be able to participate in clinical trials to access new treatments that aren’t otherwise available.

In 2020, researchers shared results from a study where participants received chemotherapy, proteasome inhibitors, and immunomodulatory drugs, and later had a bone marrow transplant (also called an autologous stem cell transplant, with stem cells from the person’s own body). The scientists found that 60 percent of the study’s participants were still alive eight years after this combination treatment was completed. Longer survival also means more opportunities to benefit from future treatments.

In 2024, myeloma researchers presented promising results from clinical trials on newer therapies, including the following:

• A combination of talquetamab, daratumumab, and pomalidomide helped 82 percent of people with relapsed or hard-to-treat multiple myeloma see their cancer shrink or disappear for a long time.
• Adding daratumumab to bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone helped more people with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma achieve no detectable cancer cells. This was for patients who weren’t able to get a transplant.
• The CAR T-cell therapy called ciltacabtagene autoleucel reduced the risk of death by 45 percent in people with multiple myeloma who didn’t respond to lenalidomide and had tried at least one other treatment.

If you’re interested in joining a clinical trial, talk to your healthcare team.

Talk With Others Who Understand

On MyMyelomaTeam, the social network for people living with multiple myeloma and their loved ones, more than 28,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with myeloma.

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