A new member of our Santa Fe support group sent the following email to Susan Benjamin, our support group co-leader. She wrote, “Many thanks to you and the warm and so very helpful members of your group! The information I gained has already helped me tremendously. I shared it with my husband. We are both […]

I experienced four days of intense scientific meetings with some of the most amazing Support Group Leaders. We shared our thoughts and summaries of the sessions during our commute to and from the hotel, and over meals. While we all shared a connection with myeloma, we all had very unique gifts. I learned as much […]

Social media is everywhere! It’s a way for all of us to take Action to increase Awareness and Information about myeloma! Over 12 years ago, the IMF began a program to invite leaders to attend ASH and to share their experience. It’s different how patients and caregivers understand complex medical information and while we are […]

In this video, Yelak Biru and Jack Aiello provides a Patients’ Perspective on this year’s 59th American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, that took place from December 9–December 12, 2017 in Atlanta, GA.

On Tuesday afternoon I returned from snowy Atlanta to snowy New Jersey. While at the airport I was gathering thoughts on what the topic of my Post-#ASH17 blog should be. I didn’t want to repeat what others were saying.  What could I write about that would be meaningful to my audience? I could highlight the […]

December 13, 2017 The ASH conference in Atlanta in December, 2017, was so interesting and overwhelming. From the IMF Satellite Symposium on Friday afternoon to the panel on Monday evening, there was so much to absorb about the advancing research and new treatments in myeloma. The abstract presentations came at us with a scheduled pace […]

As I write this post ASH 2017 blog the day after we returned home, I’m exhausted, but overwhelmed with gratitude and hope for all of us. I’m a visual learner, so I love photos of people and slides     Thank you to our Sponsors for supporting this program:  Amgen, BMS, Celgene, Janssen and Takeda. […]

Day 1 & 2: The orientation breakfast is a working breakfast to organize our team to have an organized approach to a very complicated scheduled. Dr. Durie and Debbie Birns go to great lengths to review the ASH2017 app to find the most significant oral, education, and scientific sessions for the Support Group Leaders (SGL) […]

I’ve been a myeloma caregiver to my husband Michael for longer than half our married lives together. For 17 of our 28 years of marriage, myeloma has been a part of our lives. When I visit with support groups and talk with caregivers, many times I’ll give the analogy of holding a glass of water. […]

I remember well in 2015, we had monumental FDA approvals of Kyprolis in July, followed by Darzalex, Ninlaro and Elotuzumab in November (also known as the November to Remember!) This year at ASH, each of these approved drugs continued to have new trials using them in a variety of combinations. I am impressed with Darzalex […]

I’m a 17-year myeloma survivor, and I currently do not get the flu shot, mostly due to my immune system and the fact that chemotherapy further diminishes immune response.  I know that other myeloma patients get flu shots annually, so what’s the answer? The information from two Quality of Life sessions presented at ASH provided […]

I was happy to be able to attend the oral presentation from Bluebirdbio, in collaboration with Celgene on their CAR-T program: bb2121. This is a novel anti-BCMA CAR T cell therapy for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). The conclusions of bb2121 at ASH demonstrated deepening and durable response with manageable safety profile. The numbers: 21 patients […]

By now you might have heard about the light snowfall that covered the Atlanta area this past week where the American Society of Hematology 2017 meeting was held. Unfortunately, these wintry weather conditions prevented the Support Group Leaders from attending a day’s worth of oral presentations. It was a humbling reminder that when traveling one must […]

December 12, 2017 Before presenting my ASH summary, I’ll mention a late-breaking abstract presentation that I attended early this morning focused on a Phase 3 trial using Darazalex (daratumumab)in frontline therapy (remember at this time, Dara is only approved in the relapse setting). Dr. Maria V Mateos presented the ALCYONE trial comparing Velcade, melphalan, and prednisone […]

In this video, Robin Tuohy provides a Support Group Leaders’ Perspective on this year’s 59th American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, that took place from December 9–December 12, 2017 in Atlanta, GA.

December 11, 2017 Yes, today was the last full day of ASH but that’s not to say if wasn’t full of information with oral presentations packing the day from 7:30 a.m.–7:15 p.m. Highlights included (# abstract number): (#739) The POLLUX trial: Rd +/- Dara for RRMM patients was updated with a median follow-up of 33 […]

In this video, Laura Mooney provides a Support Group Leaders’ Perspective on this year’s 59th American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, that took place from December 9–December 12, 2017 in Atlanta, GA.

In this video, Robin Tuohy provides a Patient’s Perspective on this year’s 59th American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, that took place from December 9–December 12, 2017 in Atlanta, GA.

In this video, Cindy Chmielewski provides a Patient’s Perspective on this year’s 59th American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, that took place from December 9–December 12, 2017 in Atlanta, GA.

As a first timer to ASH, it has been a real eye-opener!  There are thousands of professionals gathered (20,000) from various countries interested in hearing results and updates of various clinical trials and latest developments in the world of multiple myeloma. Studies from “Should Smoldering Myeloma Patients Be Treated?” to discussion of “Flu Vaccines for […]