What are the treatment options for Multiple Myeloma

Multiple MyelomaSeptember 18, 2026Navis AI

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For informational purposes only

This answer was generated by AI grounded in NCCN guidelines and published medical literature. It is not medical advice. Always consult your oncologist or care team before making treatment decisions.

Sources & medical oversight

Grounded in NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Multiple Myeloma — the same guidelines oncologists use.
Developed under the medical oversight of OpenCancer’s physician-scientist team (Chris Apfel, MD/PhD/MBA, CMO · Kaumudi Bhawe, PhD, CSO).
Last updated September 18, 2026. Informational only — not a substitute for your oncology team.

Treatment Options for Multiple Myeloma

Hey there. I'm Brad, and I'm happy to walk you through the main treatment approaches for multiple myeloma based on the NCCN Guidelines.

Main Treatment Categories

According to the NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Multiple Myeloma, doctors typically use several types of drugs working together:

Targeted Therapy (drugs that attack specific cancer cell features)

Proteasome inhibitors — block proteins that help myeloma cells survive (examples: bortezomib/Velcade, carfilzomib/Kyprolis, ixazomib/Ninlaro)
Monoclonal antibodies — artificial antibodies that tag myeloma cells so your immune system attacks them (examples: daratumumab/Darzalex, elotuzumab/Empliciti, isatuximab/Sarclisa)
Bispecific antibodies — newer drugs that connect your T cells directly to myeloma cells (examples: elranatamab/Elrexfio, talquetamab/Talvey, teclistamab/Tecvayli)
Small molecule inhibitors — drugs that get inside cancer cells and break them (venetoclax/Venclexta, selinexor/Xpovio)

Immunomodulators (drugs that boost your immune system)

lenalidomide (Revlimid)
pomalidomide (Pomalyst)
thalidomide (Thalomid)

Steroids (reduce swelling and have anti-cancer effects)

dexamethasone (Decadron)

Chemotherapy (traditional cancer-fighting drugs)

bendamustine, cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, doxorubicin, etoposide

CAR T-Cell Therapy (your own immune cells reprogrammed to fight cancer)

idecabtagene vicleucel (Abecma)
ciltacabtagene autoleucel (Carvykti)

Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (stem cell transplant)

High-dose chemotherapy followed by replacement with healthy blood stem cells

Radiation Therapy

Targeted radiation to painful bone areas or specific tumors

How Treatment Works

Most patients receive multi-drug therapy — typically 3 or 4 drugs combined together (called "triplet" or "quadruplet" therapy). The goal is to control the disease and improve symptoms.

After initial treatment, many transplant-eligible patients may receive a stem cell transplant.

This information is for educational purposes only. Always consult your healthcare team for personalized medical advice and decisions.

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