Smoldering Multiple Myeloma (SMM). Questions and Answers

@rimord
My SMM was caught in June 2024, annual checkup. I do wonder if the covid vaccine woke up my dormant cancer cells we all have. I was fine until the jab too.

@sallik74 Dr. Google referred me to a medical journal that said there was a direct link from the covid shot to my auto immune thingy. Wish I could remember the name of the mag. I'm sure it can be dug up.

@rimord
Please keep in touch.
I go for my 3 month bloodwork January 24th.
Nervous already

There is no evidence linking cardiac ablation with myeloma. Like any procedure involving radiation - ablation is done with fluoroscopic guidance - there is some increased risk of cancer generally. But with modern methods and equipment, that risk is minimal, and the risk/benefit for most people is overwhelmingly favorable.

There is similarly no evidence linking covid vaccine to myeloma or, for that matter, to MGUS progression. See https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9665214/ For that matter, it is even more important for those with MGUS/SMM/MM to get the covid vaccine than for those without, due to possible immunosuppression.

You know what is a MAJOR risk factor for myeloma? Age. So get the covid vaccine, or an ablation if your doctor believes you need one. Just don't get older.

@gingerw thanks for the warm welcome. I am based in London UK 🇬🇧. The colon cancer treatment was very successful. I am still suffering from fatigue and peripheral neuropathy after the chemotherapy treatment.
As for SMM l am seeing a Haematologist at Queens Hospital. So far l have had 2 MRIs, full body xray , CT scan and bone marrow biopsy.

@rimord
There are med journals out there that show correlation between certain COVID shots and issues with people who have blood issues. One that I read years ago shows people with MGUS are two folds more likely to develop arterial and veinous thrombosis. We know about the blood clots and strokes. Talk to you doctors about your concerns and its relationship.

@sallik74 Good luck. Just got my biopsy results. Looks like it's definitely SMM. Funny, I feel thankful for that! I have no symptoms, except for a touch of periodontitis, and my calcium level is good.

The thing is "They" don't have a clue what causes it. So it's hard to find a cure if you don't know the cause. At least they can keep it under control. I was diagnosed with MM in Sept. of 2023 and 3 months later my right femur collapsed at the hip joint. I have had steel rods placed in both femurs since. My oncologist is happy with my lab numbers; so if he's happy, so am I. Good luck.

@wesleym i liked your reply. I have had nine covid shots. I previously was getting blood draws every 3 months making it easy to track if there was any correlational relationship to changes in my MGUS IFE or FLCs. There was not. But to my surprise, I found a relationship between increasing FLCs and my 4 joint replacement surgeries. I have been noodling another jt replacement surgery so I called and requested a special telephone conversation with my Mayo hematologist. The answer was “no causal relationship” - just maybe normal disease progression. My husband thinks it is the titanium protheses or other parts installed during surgery. Who knows? I have had MGUS now going on 24 years. It probably would not have been discovered if I had not received Internal Medicine care at Mayo where they have a special interest/knowledge with this disease. I have no other “signs” or lab work.

@jrenjr How were your blood calcium numbers before the collapse? Good luck to you.