Paul,

67-year-old Black mana

Paul needs to be available daily to care for his ailing wife. Consider how your daily routine and priorities might influence the treatment options you discuss with your care team

Background

  • Retired electrician who lives in a rural area with his wife Elaine and their dog

MM diagnosis

  • Developed debilitating lower-back pain. MRI showed MM lesions in his lower spine

Current health, MM status, and concerns

  • Prediabetes
  • High-risk MMb
  • MM-related bone pain due to bone destruction

Main caregiver for his wife, who has Alzheimer’s disease and requires significant care

Paul's Treatment History

  • 28 MOFirst treatment: Could not be away from home due to caregiver responsibilities, so he and his hematologist/oncologist decided against stem cell transplantation, and opted for an initial 3-drug combination regimen (PI, IMiD, and steroid), with IMiD maintenance therapy
  • 12 MO First relapse: Quick relapse after first therapy; started a different 3-drug combination regimen (anti-CD38 mAb, IMiD, and a steroid)
  • Now: Second relapse
Treatment Goals and Considerations
  • His doctor recommends consulting an MM specialist at an academic hospital, but is located farther away
  • Paul agrees but wishes to consult with the MM specialist while still receiving treatment close to home. He prefers a treatment that
  • ‒Is convenient with a limited logistical burden
  • ‒Ensures he can be treated locally without referral to another institution

aThis patient profile is hypothetical and represents a type of patient typically seen in clinical practice. bDefined based on relapse within 12-24 months of treatment initiation for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, and/or meeting the upcoming high-risk MM definition proposed by the International Myeloma Society, which is based on the presence of genetic factors that are associated with poor prognosis and aggressive disease.1

CD, cluster of differentiation; IMiD, immunomodulatory drug; mAb, monoclonal antibody; MM, multiple myeloma; MO, months; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; PI, proteasome inhibitor.

  1. Manubens A, Paiva B, Gutiérrez NC, et al. High‐risk features of early relapse in newly‐diagnosed multiple myeloma: the impact of cytogenetics and response to initial therapy. Hemasphere. 2025;9(4):e70127.