ACCC Recognizes Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month

March is Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month. Multiple myeloma is a rare cancer that is estimated to affect approximately 36,000 people in the United States this year, and mortality for this disease is about 13,000 deaths a year. Multiple myeloma incidence is higher among certain populations. In fact, the Black community is twice as likely to develop multiple myeloma when compared to other ethnicities and twice as likely to die from the disease when compared to their White counterparts.

Multiple myeloma occurs when plasma cells become cancerous and grow out of control within the bone marrow, crowding out healthy cells. The malignant plasma cells then produce an abnormal protein called the M protein that may cause tumors, kidney damage, bone destruction, and increases the potential for infection. While advancements have been made in recent years to help researchers and clinicians understand how multiple myeloma develops, the exact cause(s) has not yet been determined. 

What Is ACCC Doing?

The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) is working with multidisciplinary cancer care team members from across the country on two multiple myeloma education programs.

The Community Oncology Knowledge Gaps in Multiple Myeloma Treatment program seeks to identify knowledge and practice gaps among oncology providers regarding the evolving treatment landscape for multiple myeloma, including biomarker testing, side effect management, supportive care services, and quality improvement programs, among other strategies, to optimize healthcare delivery.

Additionally, a provider survey has been developed to assess practice patterns regarding diagnosis and risk stratification for multiple myeloma, treatment selection, eligibility for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, emerging therapies, monitoring and management of treatment-related adverse events, survivorship planning, and identifying geographic, cultural, and/ or systematic barriers to care. The survey is expected to launch soon, and its results will be explored in more detail through focus groups.  ACCC will publish its findings from both the survey and focus groups later this summer.

The Changing Operating Treatment Paradigms for Patients with Multiple Myeloma aims to raise awareness among oncology providers on new treatment options for newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma who are ineligible for transplant. This education program is focused on developing various modalities (webinars, podcasts, blogs) to disseminate educational materials on subcutaneous and combination drugs (all oral-based combinations), triplet vs. quadruplet therapies for first-line treatment, and treatment sequencing for patients with multiple myeloma. 

The webinar titled, “Changing Treatment Paradigms for Patients with Multiple Myeloma,” is available for on-demand viewing, in which providers discuss their preferred therapies for patients with multiple myeloma who are ineligible for transplant.

To access multiple myeloma education and support resources for your patients, including booklets, videos, financial support, and peer-to-peer support, encourage them to visit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society website. To listen to healthcare provider podcasts about treating multiple myeloma, visit the society’s dedicated webpage. 

The ACCC Community Oncology Knowledge Gaps in Multiple Myeloma Treatment education program is supported by Pfizer. The ACCC Changing Operating Treatment Paradigms for Patients with Multiple Myeloma education program is supported by Janssen Oncology.