New Cancer Drug Leads to First-Time Remission

A woman from south-east London has spoken of her relief after a newly approved drug brought her incurable blood cancer into remission for the first time in nearly a decade, saying the treatment has given her hope for the future.

Simone Boothe, 47, from Catford, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in January 2017 after experiencing a series of collapses that were initially attributed to her long-standing multiple sclerosis.

Boothe said she had been living with symptoms of multiple sclerosis for more than a decade before her formal diagnosis in 2014, including fatigue, blurred vision, numbness and muscle cramps. In October 2016, she collapsed while walking to work, an event she described as coming out of the shower feeling well before falling in the street.

She collapsed three more times in the following weeks, leading to hospital admission and testing. After several weeks and four blood transfusions, doctors determined her dropping haemoglobin levels were caused by multiple myeloma, not her existing neurological condition.

According to Myeloma UK, multiple myeloma mainly affects people over the age of 65, with common symptoms including bone pain, recurring infections, kidney damage and fatigue. Boothe’s case was complicated by the overlap of symptoms with her multiple sclerosis, which delayed the cancer diagnosis.

In February 2025, Boothe was offered a newly approved drug, which she described as “absolutely, mind-blowingly, unbelievably successful.” She said the treatment made her feel as though it had saved her life and allowed her to reach remission for the first time since her diagnosis.

She said her dreams were now “back on the table” following the improvement in her health, expressing optimism about the future after years of living with a prognosis of three to seven years.

The development highlights ongoing progress in treatments for multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that remains incurable but has seen improved outcomes in recent years through new therapeutic approaches.