In oncology, time is running out. Every month of delay means smaller chances of recovery

Patients battling multiple myeloma in Poland are facing a critical situation where time is running out, and each month of delay in accessing advanced treatments diminishes their chances of recovery. This aggressive blood cancer often involves long fights against relapses, with periods of remission eventually giving way to drug resistance.

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I felt like I was beside myself. I couldn't function normally or go to work.

The article focuses on the plight of Monika Kalinowska, diagnosed with multiple myeloma four years ago. Initially, her treatment controlled the disease, but after two years, it relapsed. Standard therapies, like lenalidomide, became ineffective, forcing her life to revolve around hospital visits and managing severe side effects, including debilitating pain and psychological distress.

"I felt like I was beside myself. I couldn't function normally or go to work," Kalinowska recounted, describing the impact of chemotherapy and steroids. Her husband and son often had to leave home due to her mood swings, a testament to the immense physical and mental toll the treatment took.

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My husband and son already fled the house, because they knew that when I was on steroids, there would be an argument. It was awful.

While modified T-cell therapy, known as CAR-T, offers a new, personalized approach for patients, it remains unfunded in Poland. This leaves many, like Kalinowska who qualified for a clinical trial, in a precarious position. The uncertainty of whether a new therapy will work and for how long adds to the constant anxiety of potential relapses and worsening conditions.

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There is always a fear of whether a given therapy will work at all. It is a very individual matter – it depends on the disease, co-existing illnesses, the patient's age. A person constantly wonders if the treatment will bring results and for how long.