Multiple myeloma is a cancer that originates from a type of white blood cell known as plasma cells and is marked by an increase in the amounts of protein in the blood. Smoldering myeloma is a term used to describe the earliest stages of the disease.
Observation
Patients who have smoldering myeloma may not need immediate treatment, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center explains, because the cancer is progressing very slowly. In these cases the patient will be carefully observed and may need frequent follow-up testing, which will look for early signs that the cancer is progressing, such as an increase in protein levels in the patient's blood or anemia.
Pre-emptive Treatment
Clinical studies are testing the effects of certain medication on smoldering myeloma, MedPage Today explains. The goal of pre-emptive treatment is to attempt to delay the progression of smoldering myeloma into more advanced forms of the disease.
Dexamethasone and Lenalidomide
Two medications that are often used to treat multiple myeloma, known as dexamethasone and lenalidomide, have also proven useful in the treatment of smoldering myeloma, The Myeloma Beacon reports. Dr. S. Vincent Rajkumar, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, believes that in the future preemptive treatment will be recommended for the treatment of smoldering myeloma.
