A woman from Catford, south-east London, has achieved remission from an incurable blood cancer after surpassing her initial prognosis of three to seven years. Simone Boothe, 47, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in January 2017, following a series of collapses that prompted medical investigations.
Boothe experienced four collapses within two months, which led to extensive testing and four blood transfusions before doctors identified that her dangerously low hemoglobin levels were due to the blood cancer. Reflecting on her journey, Boothe remarked that a newly-approved medication she began taking in February 2025 was „absolutely, mind-blowingly, unbelievably successful,“ adding, „I feel like it saved my life.“
Long Journey to Diagnosis
Before her cancer diagnosis, Boothe had been living with multiple sclerosis (MS) for over a decade, experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, blurred vision, numbness, and muscle cramps. Her official MS diagnosis came in 2014, but it was not until October 2016 that she collapsed while walking to work.
„That morning, I literally got up and I remember coming out the shower and thinking, ‚It’s going to be a good day today,‘ because I didn’t have many of the aches and pains I can have with MS when I wake up,“ Boothe recounted.
However, just minutes after leaving her home, she collapsed on the street. This incident was followed by three additional collapses, leading to her diagnosis of multiple myeloma in January 2017.
Understanding Myeloma
According to Myeloma UK, this type of cancer primarily affects individuals over the age of 65, with common symptoms including:
- Bone pain
- Recurring infections
- Kidney damage
- Fatigue
Initially, Boothe was given a life expectancy of three to seven years. However, her determination and positivity led her to believe, „Nope, I’m going to be here much longer than that, that’s not happening.“ Over the years, she underwent 41 rounds of chemotherapy.
New Hope with Elranatamab
In February 2025, Boothe was introduced to elranatamab, a newly-approved treatment. Remarkably, just three months later, she found herself in remission for the first time in nearly a decade.
Her medical team at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust received a national award for their dedication to myeloma patients. Boothe expressed her gratitude, stating, „I was running out of treatment options and, overall, I was having chemo almost back-to-back for five-and-a-half years. But I had complete faith in my team. They have been absolutely remarkable from day one.“
Looking Forward
Now that she is in remission, Boothe is focused on regaining her strength and establishing an exercise routine. She shared her renewed sense of hope, saying, „The dreams I had and the things I wanted to do that suddenly felt like they’d been taken away… now they’re back on the table.“
„Until it happened, I had not realized I had given up on the idea of walking again or ever being in remission. I’ve been on cloud nine since… I can’t stop smiling,“ she added.
Boothe’s story serves as a testament to resilience and the potential of new treatments in the fight against cancer.
Bildquelle: Bildquelle: Steve Johnson auf Unsplash
