15-05-2025
Surviving and thriving in the battle against multiple myeloma
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) — Multiple Myeloma is a blood cancer where plasma cells crowd out normal blood cells in the bone marrow. This can lead to bone pain, frequent infections and fatigue.
Rapid City local Tony Corbine has been fighting back against this cancer for years longer than expected.
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Tony and Mary Corbine have been hands-on members of the community for years, working with the Club for Boys, the Hope Center and Feeding South Dakota whenever they can.
After his diagnosis, Tony Corbine was only given a few months to live without any treatments.
'The first couple of years were hit and miss, you know it's kind of a shock when you hear you have six months to live and it's June or May and you think well maybe I'll make Christmas. But then as far as that I've been really really fortunate that my body and that there are remedies out there to keep me and prolong my life,' Survivor Tony Corbine said.
Tony was diagnosed in Rapid City at Monument Health. After a referral, he and his wife Mary headed to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for treatments. Despite timelines moving, the idea of a final Christmas was on the mind.
'The numbers were changing, but you're still not sure on how long this is going to work, and there's not another option after this. So that's one thing that's so different now than it was then. But yeah, come Christmas you want to do things normally, but you want it to sparkle a little bit,' Mary Corbine said.
Monument Health and the Mayo Clinic were able to work together to provide the best support they could to help Tony in his battle with cancer.
'Both emotionally and physically it's taxing, it's a life-changing diagnosis and changes their life around this diagnosis unfortunately. And we're here to support them as best as we can and we work together as a team, doctors, nurses and all the support staff as well to help them achieve their goals,' Monument Health CCI Medical Director Abdel Azzouqa said.
Over the past few years, they've been able to enjoy life both at home and while traveling with family, something they didn't think they'd be able to do back in 2018.
'So it doesn't weigh on my mind as much other than the anxiety that I feed it. Obviously, if I feed it with like oh gosh this is happening, this is going to happen, I've defeated myself before I've even put my foot on the floor,' Tony Corbine said.
'Every person is a little bit different, we see all types of personalities. But definitely some people stand out by their perseverance and their ability to overcome adversity and these patients typically do better than most people.' Azzouqa Said
Tony was able to receive a stem-cell transplant in 2020, and later a successful CAR-T therapy with Carvykti.
'That has been what has prolonged things for Tony. That's the part where he mentioned Carvykti, that's with the CAR-T cell transplant. It's so crazy, it's like, I don't know all the science behind it but what I know is they take his cells, they re-engineered them to fight his cancer and then they use that drug Carvykti to do that,' Mary Corbine said.
'You kind of see what life is really like when you strip it down. Minus the titles or power or friction, you get to that spot where it's just you. You and between you and god or the creator and realizing that the time that you have, make use of it,' Tony Corbine said.
Tony has been in remission for over 2 years and his mental health continues to improve as the need for treatment decreases.
Tony continues to have a positive attitude regarding his situation and continues to fight every day, living his life the best he can.
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