Multiple myeloma is not easily diagnosed, and its early symptoms may be confused for another condition.
Each March, Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month puts multiple myeloma (MM) in the spotlight. A rare cancer, MM is not easily diagnosed early on, but it is the second most common blood cancer in the world with 130,000 new cases diagnosed yearly.
Congress first recognized March as Myeloma Awareness Month in 2014, but the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) was the first organization to declare March as Myeloma Awareness Month in 2009. Now it calls the month Myeloma Action Month. In 2021, IMF is focusing on resilience.
“The IMF sees that those in the myeloma community are resilient on a daily basis, and also recognizes that people do not need to feel resilient all the time,” IMF said in a press release. “This year proves especially timely for the theme of resilience, as the world continues to cope with the stress of the pandemic.”
Janssen Pharmaceutical noted that because the symptoms of MM can start gradually, patients may wait before seeing a doctor. In addition, the symptoms can be general: Instead of being specific to only MM, the symptoms could occur in other conditions. As a result, MM is often diagnosed later than is optimal.
“March is Myeloma Action Month, and it’s a time to reflect on the past and what we achieved as well as look forward to what lies ahead,” said Susie Durie, president and CEO of the IMF. “This past year has been challenging for several reasons, including the global pandemic that we are all in at the moment.”
The main therapies to treat MM include:
A recent study in The New England Journal of Medicine identified a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in a phase 2 trial that more than tripled the expected length of remission for patients with MM who have relapsed on previous lines of therapy.
Enhancing Outpatient Hemophilia Care May Improve Health Outcomes and Costs
May 18th 2024Prospective data from patients attending a rural practice in West Virginia between 2016 and 2023 show that a quality improvement program that followed guideline recommendations and was tailored to specific patient needs reduced preventable bleeds and lowered costs.
Read More
Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity: Urban Health Outreach
May 9th 2024In the series debut episode of "Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity," Mary Sligh, CRNP, and Chelsea Chappars, of Allegheny Health Network, explain how the Urban Health Outreach program aims to improve health equity for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Listen
CMS Medicare Final Rule: Advancing Benefits, Competition, and Consumer Protection
May 7th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Karen Iapoce, senior director of government products and programs at ZeOmega, about the recent CMS final rule on Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage.
Listen