Letter from the IMF President & Chief Executive Officer

Dear Friends,

The December 2022 Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) served as confirmation that the pace of science, accelerated by technological developments, has gone from evolution to revolution. More than 1,000 myeloma-related abstracts were presented! The unprecedented volume and scope of myeloma research being performed all over the world made it emphatically clear that the word “cure” is no longer used merely in contemplation of a far-fetched dream. In 2023, a cure of myeloma feels tangible; it is nearly in sight.

While myeloma research is bringing us closer to a cure, there is no question that it has already delivered innovative treatment options that make it possible for many patients to live better and to live longer. Currently, there more than a dozen drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in myeloma, with dozens more being tested in clinical trials. But it must be said that as more myeloma therapies become available both in the standard-of-care setting and in well-designed clinical trials, the ever-expanding menu of treatment options requires careful navigation by the patient.

Working with a myeloma specialist at an academic institution or myeloma center of excellence will help formulate your overall treatment strategy based on the latest data for your particular disease. Which therapeutic approach to use, when to use it, how to best sequence the treatment of your myeloma? Your needs, challenges, and preferences are essential considerations in making such determinations. YOU are the leader of your team, and it is more important than ever to be informed about YOUR myeloma in order to make informed choices.

While your doctor may be the one to administer your myeloma therapy, your healthcare team will include more members, and your care partners will also help support your personal strategy for living well with myeloma. Optimal care occurs when there is effective communication within your team and your voice is heard. Living well with myeloma is as much about your mental and spiritual resilience as it is about your physical well-being. In a larger sense, the researcher you’ve never met in a lab you’ve never visited is also on your team. Certainly, we at the IMF are always on your team.

In November 2021, I joined the IMF’s leadership team because the IMF team has been there for me. I was diagnosed with stage III myeloma in 1995 at age 25, embarking on a grueling course of high-dose chemotherapy that came everywhere with me in a wheeled suitcase. It was then that I walked into my first IMF support group meeting and an atmosphere filled with strength, hope, and information. I am thankful that my new community quickly helped me realize the importance of being my own advocate and making sure that my voice is heard. I am thankful for my myeloma doctors, past and present, who possess not only clinical excellence and empathy, but also embrace shared decision-making.

For more than 27 years, I have worked to advocate for our global community. I have closely observed the astonishing progress in myeloma research since the FDA approved the very first novel therapy nearly a decade after my diagnosis. The recent meeting of ASH was yet another opportunity to be energized by the future, to gain insights into the challenges of the present, and to be humbled by our history. Yes, the science itself is exhilarating, but its potential benefit for the survival and quality of life of patients with myeloma is no less so.