Overview of Multiple Myeloma
Panelists discuss how multiple myeloma is a rare blood cancer affecting plasma cells that have gone rogue, causing symptoms like fatigue, kidney dysfunction, and bone pain, with approximately 36,000 new cases diagnosed annually in the US, primarily affecting older patients around 60 to 65 years of age. Although multiple myeloma is highly treatable with great therapy options available, the disease often relapses and requires aggressive early treatment approaches, including emerging immunotherapies that may help cure a larger fraction of patients in the future.
This Cancer Network program focuses on managing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in early relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma from both patient and expert perspectives. The panel includes a host from the University of Kansas Medical Center who specializes in multiple myeloma and cell therapy, a CAR T coordinator, and a patient who was initially diagnosed in 2019 and experienced relapse in 2024. The discussion aims to provide comprehensive insights into treatment options for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma by combining clinical expertise with real patient experience.
Multiple myeloma is a rare blood cancer affecting approximately 2% of all cancers and 10% of blood cancers, with approximately 36,000 new cases diagnosed annually in the United States. The disease occurs when plasma cells—which are white blood cells normally responsible for fighting infections by producing antibodies—acquire genetic mutations and begin rapidly growing in the bone marrow. These rogue plasma cells outgrow normal bone marrow cells, leading to various complications, including anemia-related fatigue, kidney dysfunction from abnormal protein secretion, and severe bone pain as the disease affects bone structure.
The condition predominantly affects older adults, with an average age of diagnosis between 60 and 65 years, though it can occur across all age groups. Men are more frequently affected than women, and the disease shows higher prevalence among African American patients. Although not directly inherited like some genetic disorders, multiple myeloma can cluster within families. Despite its serious nature, the outlook is encouraging, as multiple myeloma is highly treatable with excellent therapy options available to achieve and maintain remission. Current treatment approaches can cure a small fraction of patients, with hopes to expand cure rates in the future by utilizing immunotherapy as the foundation of treatment protocols.
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