Excited and Grateful

Valarie Traynham |
Valarie Traynham on backdrop of American Society of Hematology

As a first time #ASH attendee last year I found myself feeling kind of overwhelmed at times.  This did not take away from the wealth of information I took in. Being able to attend as a patient advocate was invaluable.

One of my goals last year was to learn as much information about the new and emerging therapies used to treat multiple myeloma. I was intrigued with the presentations on #BiTE therapy (Bi-specific T-cell engager) that was all the buzz. Another goal I had was to network. I was able to meet many of the leaders in the field of multiple myeloma, other patient advocates, as well as the many pharmaceutical partners that do so much in developing treatments for myeloma.

I am excited and grateful to be able to participate in the upcoming 61st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (#ASH19) as a member of the International Myeloma Foundation patient representative team. This years meeting will take place in Orlando, Florida, from December 6 – 10, 2019.

The satellite symposium presented by the International Myeloma Foundation is sure to be a treat. Taking place Friday, the focus of the symposium this year will be “Therapeutic Approaches that Achieve the Best Possible Outcomes in Myeloma Care.” Myeloma experts from around the world will exchange views and present outcomes from the latest studies and clinical trials that have been in progress throughout the year.

At this year’s meeting, I look forward to continued learning about #BiTE therapy and therapies for relapsed/refractory myeloma. Abstract #3124 has piqued my interest. It evaluates the efficacy and safety of melflufen and dexamethasone plus bortezomib or daratumumab in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Since being diagnosed with a second primary cancer earlier this year,  I have a special interest in poster presentation #4358, ‘The Risk Factors of Second Primary Cancers after Autologous Stem Cell Transplant for Multiple Myeloma before and after the Introduction of Proteasome Inhibitors/Immunomodulatory Agent.”

I invite you to follow the entire IMF patient representative team’s tweets and blogs as we share our perspective on these and other informative topics throughout #ASH19.

Valarie Traynham, Aurora IL Multiple Myeloma Networking Group

 @MyelomaValarie


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