Researchers tested a new care plan for people with a serious blood cancer called multiple myeloma who also have kidney problems. The plan combined special nursing support designed to build confidence with personalized nutrition help. Ninety-two patients received either the new plan or regular care. Those who got the new plan felt more confident, bounced back better from stress, had more energy, and felt better overall. Their blood tests also showed better nutrition levels. This suggests that combining emotional support with good nutrition can really help patients with this serious condition feel and do better.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Does a special nursing care plan that builds patient confidence, combined with nutrition support, help people with multiple myeloma (a serious blood cancer) who also have kidney problems feel better and healthier?
  • Who participated: 92 patients with multiple myeloma and kidney failure from a hospital in China. Half received the new care plan (46 people) and half received regular nursing care (46 people). The study ran from April 2022 to April 2024.
  • Key finding: Patients who received the new care plan showed much bigger improvements in confidence, emotional strength, energy levels, and overall quality of life compared to those getting regular care. Their nutrition markers (blood protein, hemoglobin, and prealbumin) were also significantly better.
  • What it means for you: If you or a loved one has multiple myeloma with kidney problems, asking for a care plan that focuses on building confidence and provides nutrition support may help you feel better, have more energy, and improve your overall health. Talk to your healthcare team about these approaches.

The Research Details

This was a randomized controlled trial, which is one of the strongest types of medical studies. Researchers took 92 patients with multiple myeloma and kidney failure and randomly split them into two groups—like flipping a coin to decide who got what treatment. One group (46 people) received a special nursing care plan based on “efficacy theory,” which is a psychology approach that helps people build confidence in their ability to manage their health. This group also got personalized nutrition support. The other group (46 people) received standard nursing care without the special confidence-building or nutrition focus.

The study lasted about two years (April 2022 to April 2024) and measured several important things before and after the care plan. Researchers looked at how confident patients felt managing their condition, how well they bounced back emotionally, how tired they felt from cancer, their nutrition levels (checked through blood tests), and their overall quality of life.

Both groups were treated the same except for the nursing approach and nutrition support, which helps researchers know that any differences were likely caused by the new care plan rather than other factors.

This research approach matters because it tests a real-world care strategy that hospitals can actually use. Rather than just studying one thing in isolation, the researchers looked at how combining emotional support with nutrition help affects the whole person—their confidence, mental health, energy, physical health, and quality of life. This gives doctors and nurses practical information about how to care for these very sick patients.

This study has several strengths: it used random assignment (which reduces bias), had a control group for comparison, measured multiple important outcomes, and followed patients over time. The study was published in Frontiers in Nutrition, a peer-reviewed journal. However, the study was conducted in one hospital in China, so results may not apply exactly the same way to other populations or healthcare settings. The study size (92 patients) is moderate—larger studies would provide even stronger evidence.

What the Results Show

After the care plan, both groups improved, but the group receiving the new nursing plan with nutrition support improved much more. Patients’ confidence in managing their condition (measured by CDSES scores) increased significantly more in the treatment group. Their ability to bounce back from stress and difficulties (measured by CD-RISC scores) also improved much more in the treatment group.

Cancer-related fatigue—the extreme tiredness that cancer patients often experience—decreased in both groups, but the treatment group had much greater improvements. This is important because fatigue is one of the most bothersome symptoms for cancer patients and affects their daily life.

Blood tests showed that patients in the treatment group had better nutrition levels. Specifically, they had higher levels of albumin (a blood protein), hemoglobin (which carries oxygen in blood), and prealbumin (another protein that shows nutrition status). These improvements suggest that the nutrition support was actually helping their bodies get better nourished.

Quality of life improved in both groups across four areas: physical ability, mental health, managing cancer-related problems, and social support. However, the treatment group had significantly better improvements in all these areas. Interestingly, nausea decreased more in the control group, suggesting the new plan didn’t prevent nausea as well as standard care in this one area.

The study found that the confidence-building nursing approach (based on efficacy theory) worked well for these patients. When people feel more confident that they can manage their health, they tend to take better care of themselves, which may explain some of the improvements. The combination of emotional support and nutrition help appeared to work better together than either one alone might have. The improvements happened across many different areas of health and wellbeing, not just one thing, suggesting the care plan had broad positive effects.

This research builds on previous studies showing that psychological support helps cancer patients. It also supports earlier research showing that good nutrition is important for cancer patients with kidney problems. However, this appears to be one of the first studies specifically combining a confidence-building nursing approach with nutrition support for this particular group of patients (multiple myeloma with kidney failure). The results align with the general principle that treating the whole person—mind and body—works better than treating just one aspect.

The study was conducted in one hospital in China, so results may not apply exactly the same way to patients in other countries or healthcare systems with different resources. The study included 92 patients, which is a moderate size; larger studies would provide stronger evidence. The study didn’t measure how long the improvements lasted after the care plan ended. We don’t know if patients were able to maintain these improvements over months or years. The study didn’t compare this approach to other possible care plans, only to standard care. Some of the improvements might be due to patients knowing they were receiving special attention (called the placebo effect), though the control group also received attention.

The Bottom Line

If you have multiple myeloma with kidney problems, ask your healthcare team about care plans that include: (1) nursing support focused on building your confidence in managing your condition, and (2) personalized nutrition support. These approaches appear to help patients feel better, have more energy, and improve their overall health. Confidence level: Moderate to High—this is a well-designed study, though more research in different settings would strengthen the evidence.

This research is most relevant for people with multiple myeloma who also have kidney failure, their families, and their healthcare providers. Nurses and doctors caring for cancer patients with kidney problems should consider this approach. The findings may also be relevant for other cancer patients with kidney problems, though more research would be needed to confirm this. This research is less relevant for people with multiple myeloma who don’t have kidney problems, as their care needs may be different.

Based on this study, patients began showing improvements within the study period (which lasted up to 2 years). However, the study didn’t specify exactly when improvements started. Most likely, patients would begin noticing improvements in energy and mood within weeks to a few months, while blood test improvements might take longer. It’s important to remember that everyone responds differently, and some people may see faster improvements than others.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track three things weekly: (1) Your confidence level managing your condition on a scale of 1-10, (2) Your energy level each day on a scale of 1-10, and (3) Any nutrition goals your doctor recommended (like protein intake or specific foods). Use the app to log these daily and review weekly trends.
  • Use the app to set and track one specific health goal each week related to nutrition (like drinking enough water, eating protein-rich foods, or taking supplements as prescribed) and one goal related to managing your condition (like doing recommended exercises or attending appointments). Celebrate small wins to build confidence.
  • Set up monthly check-ins in the app to review your progress on confidence, energy, nutrition markers (if you have recent blood work), and overall wellbeing. Share these trends with your healthcare team during appointments. If you’re not seeing improvements after 4-6 weeks, discuss adjustments with your care team.

This research describes a specific care approach for patients with multiple myeloma and kidney failure. These findings should not replace advice from your healthcare team. If you have multiple myeloma or kidney problems, consult with your doctor or oncologist before making any changes to your care plan. While this study shows promising results, individual responses to treatment vary. This information is for educational purposes and should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. Always work with qualified healthcare providers to develop a care plan tailored to your specific condition.