New Cancer Drug Leads to Patient Remission

I’m in Remission for the First Time Due to a New Cancer Drug A woman diagnosed with incurable blood cancer has reached remission for the first time in nearly a decade, thanks to a newly approved treatment. Simone Boothe, 47, from Catford in southeast London, was told she had multiple myeloma in January 2017 after collapsing multiple times in two months. Her symptoms had been masked for years by a prior diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, which delayed the identification of her cancer. Boothe said she underwent weeks of testing and received four blood transfusions before doctors confirmed that her dangerously low haemoglobin levels—responsible for her collapses—were caused by myeloma, an incurable blood cancer that primarily affects people over 65. According to Myeloma UK, common symptoms include bone pain, frequent infections, kidney damage and fatigue. In February 2025, Boothe was offered a newly approved drug that she described as “absolutely, mind-blowingly, unbelievably successful.” She said, “I feel like it saved my life.” The treatment has allowed her to reach remission, a state where signs of cancer, such as abnormal cell counts or tumor markers, have significantly decreased. As noted by Healthline, cancer remission means the signs of cancer have lessened for at least one month, though it does not necessarily mean the person is cancer-free. Boothe added that being in remission has brought her dreams “back on the table.” She had experienced symptoms of multiple sclerosis—including fatigue, blurred vision, numbness, and muscle cramps—for more than a decade before her official MS diagnosis in 2014. It was not until October 2016, when she collapsed while walking to work, that further investigation led to her cancer diagnosis the following January. Her story highlights how overlapping symptoms between conditions like multiple sclerosis and myeloma can complicate early detection. It also underscores the impact of advances in cancer therapy, particularly newly approved drugs that are offering renewed hope to patients with previously poor prognoses. While multiple myeloma remains incurable, treatments like the one Boothe received are extending survival and improving quality of life for many.