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Treatable but not curable: coping with multiple myeloma.
Receiving a diagnosis of a devastating cancer—it is a moment that changes your life forever. It’s a moment that over 180,000 people across the world experience every year when they learn they have multiple myeloma (MM), which is the second most common type of blood cancer. Despite treatment advancements in recent years, a cure for MM doesn’t currently exist.
In 2017, 47-year-old Oya learned that he had MM and began navigating an uncertain journey with unique challenges, which is unfortunately common for people that experience this diagnosis. No stranger to adversity, he grew up in a deeply troubled household and relied on his own resilience and tenacity to leave home at 17 and begin a new life for himself. Years later, that inner strength was tested as his health deteriorated and multiple doctors could not determine the cause. Ultimately, he was diagnosed with MM.
“My first thought was: How long do I have to live?” Oya says. “For me, it wasn’t just grappling with MM—it was about my world being turned upside down. I’m a father, a musician and a podcaster, but coming to terms with my new reality made me question who I am and everything about my life. It was hard to stay positive.”
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I’m a father, a musician and a podcaster, but coming to terms with my new reality made me question who I am and everything about my life. It was hard to stay positive.
Oya
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The psychological impact of multiple myeloma
Whether it’s the shock of receiving the diagnosis, concerns about whether a treatment will work or fear that the cancer will return, MM can have a staggering psychological impact, starting with the person living with the disease and causing a ripple effect on their care partners, family and friends.
The psychological impact of cancer can take shape in a variety of ways, including having problems concentrating, trouble sleeping, trembling or shaking, a dry mouth, feeling irritated or getting sick.
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It took me a while to accept my diagnosis. It’s normal to feel angry, sad and frustrated.
Oya
“It took me a while to accept my diagnosis,” Oya says. “It’s normal to feel angry, sad and frustrated. Especially with MM, when a relapse can happen at any time, you have to learn to live with the uncertainty. The most important thing is to ask for help from friends, family or a support group.”
These psychological challenges of an MM diagnosis can be a daunting, ongoing battle. Organizations like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society have a wealth of resources to help. Communication is key, whether it’s talking to a healthcare provider to understand treatment options or get mental health advice, or attending a support group to learn from others who share the same experience. Taking time for self-care is also very important, especially during times of stress, anxiety and loneliness. This could include exercise or relaxation techniques like meditation. Often, care partners don’t realize that there is help available to them, too, with support groups for people in the same situation.
The effects of this disease are debilitating—a weakened immune system, increased susceptibility to life-threatening infections, bone pain and constant fatigue—sometimes making activities of daily life nearly impossible. Additionally, while MM is different for each person, it is prone to returning when therapies stop working after a period of improvement, also known as a relapse. In fact, most people with MM will receive four or more different therapy regimens because of relapses. With each relapse, the remission period becomes shorter and the treatment options narrow.
Oya’s life and care partner, Carri, became consumed with the day-to-day reality of managing the disease, as well as what tomorrow might bring. “All of a sudden, there was so much to keep track of with Oya’s treatments. I lived in fear of the future, including the possibility of a relapse,” she says.
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Bringing new hope with breakthroughs
Cancer experts around the world are working to better understand MM and make advancements in the hopes of changing its course. At Pfizer, researchers are applying decades of scientific expertise to identify new targets, apply novel technologies and accelerate development of new medicines to address significant unmet needs, bringing new hope to those struggling with MM.
"We recognize the struggles that people with MM face and they motivate us to push the science further. There’s still a significant unmet need for better treatments across the spectrum of the disease, and for increased access for patients to current and future treatments,” says Karin Tollefson, Chief Oncology Medical Officer at Pfizer. “Pfizer is gaining ground against cancer, and we work with patients, care partners and advocacy groups to meet the evolving needs of patients everywhere.”
March is Myeloma Action Month—an opportunity to acknowledge the incredible strength of people like Oya and Carri, who face this devastating disease every day with grace and courage. Their resilience and hope inspires Pfizer to outdo cancer—to work to outpace, outsmart and outmaneuver a disease that has taken so much from so many. By accelerating breakthrough treatments and providing care and support along the patient journey, Pfizer is bringing the field one step closer to beating cancers like MM.
References:
1:https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cncr.34134#:~:text=The%20rates%20of%20clinically%20significant,44%20of%20180)%2C%20respectively. Accessed May 25, 2022.
2:https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/multiple-myeloma/about/key-statistics.html#:~:text=Key%20Statistics%20About%20Multiple%20Myeloma&text=About%2035%2C780%20new%20cases%20will,men%20and%205%2C520%20in%20women
3:National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Cancer Stat Facts: Myeloma. Accessed on October 30, 2023. Available at: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/mulmy.html
4:35-multiple-myeloma-fact-sheet.pdf (who.int)
5:Shapiro YN, Peppercorn JM, Yee AJ, et al. Lifestyle considerations in multiple myeloma. Blood Cancer J. 11, 172 (2021).
6:Emotional wellbeing and multiple myeloma | This Is Living With Cancer | Official Site
This advertiser content has been created and paid for by Pfizer.
Neither Reuters News nor Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters, were involved/had a role in the production of this content.
The ripple effect of a multiple myeloma diagnosis
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To learn more about Oya and Carri’s story and access resources, visit Pfizer’s site at advancinghemonccare.com.
