A Big Picture Preview of the 2022 ASH Annual Meeting 

In this week's blog, IMF Chief Scientific Officer and Chairman of the Board Dr. Brian G.M. Durie gives a “big picture preview” of the upcoming 64th ASH Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, from December 10-13, 2022. He highlights notable oral presentations and poster abstracts during the course of the three-day annual meeting—from the iStopMM Project, CURE Trials, CAR T-cell therapy, MRD Testing, Immune Therapies, and more. Dr. Durie emphasizes how there is much to listen to, review, and learn from ASH 2022 and how its outcome will change the myeloma landscape in 2023.

Join Today's Living Well with Myeloma Webinar 

Today's IMF Living Well with Myeloma Webinar on “Ways to Improve Your Bone Health as a Myeloma Patient” begins at 4:00 p.m. PST | 6:00 p.m. CST | 7:00 p.m. EST. The speakers are Jens Hillengass, MD, PhD (Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center—Buffalo, NY) and IMF Nurse Leadership Board (NLB) Member Beth Faiman, PhD, MSN, APRN-BC, AOCN®, FAAN (Cleveland Clinic, Taussig Cancer Institute—Cleveland, OH). They will review why bone health is so important in myeloma, provide tips on how to live well with myeloma bone disease, give guidelines for physical activity, and more. Connect with us online this evening!

This Week: Patient and Family Webinar 

The next IMF Patient and Family Webinar, on Saturday, November 12, at 10 a.m. PST / 12 p.m. CST / 1 p.m. EST, will focus on “Understanding the New Myeloma Landscape.” The speakers for this event include IMF Chairman of the Board and Chief Scientific Officer Brian G.M. Durie; S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD (Mayo Clinic – Rochester, MN); IMF Nurse Leadership Board (NLB) Member Beth Faiman, PhD, RN, MSN, APRN-BC, AOCN®, FAAN (Cleveland Clinic, Taussig Cancer Institute—Cleveland, OH); and Alfred L. Garfall, MD, MS (University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, PA). There will be a special focus on new immune therapies, including FDA-approved Tecvayli™ (teclistamab-cqyv), as well as available clinical trials.

IMF Virtual Regional Community Workshop (RCW)—Pacific Northwest States

This IMF Virtual Regional Community Workshop (RCW)—Pacific Northwest States will take place on Saturday, November 19, from 10 a.m. PST to 12:30 p.m. PST. Guest speakers include Craig Cole, MD (Michigan State University, Karmanos Cancer Institute—Detroit, MI) and Amrita Krishnan, MD (City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center—Duarte, CA). IMF Nurse Leadership Board (NLB) Member Sandra Rome, RN, MN, AOCN®, CNS will talk about managing side effects and symptoms of myeloma and treatments. After each presentation with the experts, attendees will have ample time to ask questions.

IMF Patient, President and CEO Yelak Biru Speaks at Plenary Session at the 9th Annual Healthy Churches 2030 Conference

IMF Patient, President and CEO Yelak Biru will be among the many dynamic speakers featured at the 9th Annual Healthy Churches 2030 Conference. The conference focuses on the “intersection on Black health, religion, and life.” Participants will delve into the public health challenges that Black people face daily, including “alarming rates of mental illness, food insecurity, and the ongoing assault of racism.” Learn more about the conference and its efforts to heal traumas. 

Las Voces de Mieloma (Spanish/Virtual) Support Group Meeting on November 15

The next Las Voces de Mieloma (Spanish/virtual) support group meeting will meet on November 15th from 10 a.m. PST – 11 a.m. PST. Its topic is Self-Care During Treatment. The event’s presenter is Stefania Mancia, NP, an oncology nurse practitioner at Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida. She specializes in the care of patients diagnosed with hematologic malignancies such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. She also works with people undergoing stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy.    

Join us by registering at https://lasvoces.support.myeloma.org/. For any questions, please email [email protected]. 

La próxima reunión del grupo de apoyo de Las Voces de Mieloma (español/virtual) se realizará el 15 de noviembre de 10 a.m. PST a 11 a.m. PST.

Tema: El cuidado personal durante el tratamiento.   

Stefania Mancia, NP es una enfermera practicante en Moffitt Cancer Center en Florida. Su especialidad es el tratamiento de pacientes que han sido diagnosticados con leucemia, linfoma, y mieloma múltiple. Stefania tambien trata a pacientes que estan recebiendo tratamiento con trasplante de celulas madres y otras terapias celulares.      

Únase a nosotros registrándose en: https://lasvoces.support.myeloma.org/. Para preguntas, envíe un correo electrónoco a: [email protected].   

Creatives Against Cancer Fundraiser for the IMF Gives Back in a Big Way

The Creatives Against Cancer fundraising event was held on Saturday, October 8 at the Brightside Studios in Phoenix, AZ. Organized by Brightside Studios owners Brad and Vanessa Kuenn, along with Brad’s sister Hillary Kuenn, the event raised $6,161, with proceeds benefiting the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF). In August 2020, Brad was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. After meeting IMF Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Mikhael, the Kuenns wanted to give back to the community and to raise funds for the IMF. Read the full article to learn how these artists “gave back in a big way.”