DRD Treatmebt

Hi MNR and a warm welcome to this corner of the Community although I am sorry to see you joining us and hear about your mum.

I am Mike and I help out around our various Blood Cancer groups. I don’t have Myeloma but have been in my journey for 24+ years with 2 rare types of T-Cell Non Hodgkin’s Lymphomas so although my Blood Cancer ‘type’ is different I most definitely appreciate the challenges of this journey rather well.

I did a community search using the search tool  near the top and found a few posts about DRD.

There are a few active members in the group at the moment so let’s look for them to pick up on your post.

You may find it helpful to call the Macmillan Support Line open 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00. This service provides cancer information, practical information, emotional support or just a listen ear.

For good information do check out Myeloma UK who produce very good information and run various support platforms including their Buddy Scheme, they also have a Support Line on 0800 980 3332

You may also want to check to see if you have a Maggie's Centre in your area as these folks are amazing and most centres do run monthly Heamatology Support Groups, the one I attend does have a few folks with Myeloma in it so worth checking.

Always around to help more or just to chat.

Thank you so much, Mike, this was very helpful. 

Hi MNR. As Mike mentions, a few people are active on this forum and I am one of them!

For anyone else reading this DRD = Daratumumab, Revlimid (also called lenalidomide) and Dexamethasone.

MNR, there is a simple reason why it can be difficult to assess the extent and nature of the side effects: they vary so much from person to person.

Although I am much younger than your mum, so comparisons have limited usefulness, my maintenance treatment is DRD and I am enjoying life.

What I can say is that many/most of the side effects are reversible. If, for example, the chemo causes extreme fatigue, she can simply stop the treatment (or maybe just reduce the dose) and the fatigue should ease off and disappear again. In other words, she has little to lose.

As she has been monitored from smouldering myeloma, she is probably in Stage 1. f she doesn't have treatment, the MM will go untreated and will progress. That much is simply inevitable.