Multiple myeloma: A silent blood cancer affecting Black Americans

Bryon Daily did not fit the profile of someone at risk for a rare blood condition. After all, he said he was under 60, physically fit, and had no family history of the disease. But after a seemingly random finger fracture, his doctor tested him for elevated protein levels in his blood and told him he had a form of cancer called multiple myeloma.

It was sort of an out-of-body experience for me,” said Daily 60, of learning of his diagnosis. “I was very fortunate because, in a lot of cases, people don’t have access to good health care. I had major medical insurance. So, I could consult with my primary care physician.”

Multiple myeloma is a cancer involving plasma cells that multiply and grow uncontrollably in a person’s bone marrow, crowding out healthy cells. The disease, which has no cure, limits the body’s ability to fight infections, produces proteins that can damage the kidneys, and causes bone pain and debilitating fractures. If left untreated, it can be fatal.

The disease primarily affects Black and Hispanic males ages 65 to 70 and individuals with specific risk factors such as exposure to certain chemicals, obesity, and chronic immune or inflammatory disorders, according to an American Association of Cancer Research study.

“Black Americans have at least a double chance of developing multiple myeloma compared to white Americans and are also diagnosed at younger ages,” said Gwen Nichols, chief medical officer at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in New York. “It is not fully understood, but genetics might play a role.”

Nichols described myeloma as a silent but deadly blood cancer with a high mortality rate after diagnosis. She noted that, unlike colon, breast, or prostate cancer, there is no standard screening for multiple myeloma.

In New Jersey, about 730 new cases of multiple myeloma are diagnosed annually, with about 330 deaths attributed to the disease each year, according to the state health department.

Nationwide, the American Cancer Society estimates that about 35,000 people will be diagnosed with the disease this year.

Daily, who is Black and was 54 when diagnosed, became the national community outreach manager for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

He noted that over the past decade, the nonprofit Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, which works to accelerate a cure for the disease, reported that treatments have emerged to target malignancies diagnosed at a disproportionate rate among Black and brown populations.

In addition, he said websites like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Myeloma Link, created in 2017, help educate myeloma patients, caregivers, survivors, and families of color about the disease and its treatments.

“They meet people where they are,” said Daily of Atlanta, noting that the website has reached 45,000 people. “LLS partners with trusted institutions within Black and brown communities, like churches, senior centers, libraries, and barbershops. The program is active in 16 cities across the country, including Newark.”

Lynn Steele is a senior information specialist at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Information Resource Center inNew York.

She said combating multiple myeloma hinges on education and proactive outreach by health care professionals.

Steele said that based on feedback from Black and brown people with the disease, the lack of knowledge about myeloma and barriers to getting help were the most common discussions.

“Some patients have never heard about myeloma,” she said. In addition, Steele said patients from lower-income families may face financial barriers because of hospitalizations; treatment schedules may conflict with work; they don’t have transportation to treatment or lack adequate insurance.

Nichols said those factors and the length of time before diagnosis greatly impact mortality rates for individuals with multiple myeloma.

“Five-year relative survival rates for multiple myeloma have surpassed 60% with newer treatment options such as targeted therapies, immunotherapy and CAR T-cell therapies,” Nichols said. “The goal here is to intervene with novel therapies and lifestyle changes that may delay or prevent disease progression.”

Daily can attest to that. With early diagnosis and treatment, Daily said his myeloma is in remission after six months of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. He manages the disease by taking a daily chemotherapy pill.

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