Revlimid (lenalidomide), is the key drug during the final phase of multiple myeloma treatment, the maintenance phase. Following depletion of cancerous cells via chemotherapy and replenishment of lost healthy cells through a stem cell transplant, the maintenance phase aims to maintain the myeloma in its severely depleted state, for as long as possible. To do so, low doses of lenalidomide, a drug that keeps the immune system on high alert and targets the myeloma in case it comes back, are given to the patient for long stretches of time.
This continuous use of low-dose lenalidomide has proven highly effective in prolonging life. Dr. Paul Richardson, Director of Clinical Research at the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, says, “What we’re realizing is that lenalidomide is conferring tremendous clinical benefit, by virtue of its continuous use.” Revlimid (lenalidomide) treatment typically goes for three-week cycles at a time, with one week off between cycles. If you’re wondering whether this therapy really helps myeloma stay away, the answer is yes–There is evidence supporting that patients who take the drug in these cycles for years at a time are surviving 2.5 to 3 years longer on average. “These are very exciting data,” says Richardson.
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