KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After being diagnosed with an uncommon form of blood cancer, a Kansas City woman is now beating the odds.
Immunotherapy treatment for Mary Davis takes just under two hours at Saint Luke's Hospital.
"All I know is this beats coming twice-a-week," Davis said.
In 2015, Davis was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer doctors believe is becoming more common in the United States.
"Maybe it's the physician awareness, more testing, incidental finding; All of those things are contributing to this diagnosis," Dr. Shahzad Raza, multiple myeloma director at Saint Luke's Cancer Institute, said.
The American Cancer Society estimates more than 32,000 new cases this year in the U.S., and nearly 13,000 deaths. They believe the lifetime risk of getting multiple myeloma is 1 in 132.
Multiple myeloma is usually found in its late stages. Davis was diagnosed with Stage III.
Before her diagnosis, Davis lost her brother to multiple myeloma.
"I think he lasted about 10 years with his," Davis said.
For decades, there were not many options available to patients for treatment.
"We were only treating it with chemotherapy and steroids," Raza said. "That was the standard of care in 1970s and 80s."
With clinical trials and immunotherapy, Davis said her life quickly began to change.
"When he first saw me, I was down at the bottom, near the getting-ready-to-die part: hospice," Davis said.
For nearly two years, Davis has been in complete remission. By sharing her journey and strength, she's hoping other patients can find theirs.
"It's not a death sentence," Davis said. "Work with your doctor, listen to your doctor and listen to the nurses."
It's unclear what causes multiple myeloma, but with new treatment options, life expectancy continues to increase for patients.
