Initial Diagnosis: Multiple Myeloma

David’s mom often told him that his 64 year old father, Edward, felt dizzy and had no strength. David recommended that his father go see a doctor, but his father didn’t think it was a big deal and refused. One day, when Edward was working at home, he suddenly fainted. The family sent him to the hospital and he was diagnosed with anemia. However, David was not at ease with his father’s diagnosis and insisted that he get further testing.

In December 2014, after undergoing additional testing, Edward was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Symptoms of multiple myeloma include anemia, also known as low red blood cell count, leading to physical weakness, shortness of breath, and dizziness.

In January 2015, Edward started chemotherapy treatment. After three cycles of chemotherapy, the progression of his myeloma was slowed. Six months later Edward had a stem cell transplant, but it did not eliminate the disease.

In July 2016, the disease relapsed and Edward received additional round of chemotherapy for several months. A year later, doctors recommended that Edward stop treatment since the drug therapy was not improving his symptoms and his physical condition had worsened.

MORE Health Co-Diagnosis Analysis

In seeking another opinion, Edward’s son David contacted MORE Health. MORE Health coordinated an online consultation between Edward’s treating physicians and two of MORE Health’s physician specialists: Dr. Edmund Tai and Dr. Steven Coutre. Doctors Tai and Coutre recommended a new drug treatment called Darzalex, which targets molecules on the surface of cancer cells. When Darzalex is used in combination with other medications, patients often respond better to treatment and with fewer toxic side effects.

The Outcome

Edward accepted the Darzalex combination drug therapy treatment plan. After two weeks of treatment, his red blood cell, white blood cell and platelet count decreased, a known side effect of the initial Darzalex loading dose. Adjustments were made to the treatment plan dose. Edward’s blood cell counts returned to normal. In follow-up visits, Edward’s physical condition was improved and stable, allowing him to resume a more normal life.

To protect patient privacy all patient stories use aliases. All content found on the morehealth.com website, including text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.