Bone Strengthening Drugs in a Minute or Less (https://www.myeloma.org/videos/bone-strengthening-drugs-minute-or-less)
Bone Strengthening Drugs in a Minute or Less
What are bone strengthening drugs and why do some myeloma patients need them? Dr. Joe Mikhael, Chief Medical Officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, answers your questions.
Dr. Joe Mikhael:
What are bone-strengthening drugs, and why do some myeloma patients need them? Hi, everyone. Dr. Joseph Mikhael, Chief Medical Officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, and I'm going to break down bone-strengthening drugs in less than a minute.
The vast majority of patients with multiple myeloma do have bone involvement of their disease. This is really a sentinel part of myeloma. It may be just a slight thinning of the bone, or it may be an actual fracture. Either way, the bones are affected by myeloma, and the way we keep our bones strong are affected by myeloma.
So in addition to being treated for the myeloma itself, we very often add to that a bone-strengthening drug so that our bones remain strong. This is given in different ways, and there are different kinds of agents, but it's really important that we both control the disease but also help bolster someone's bone strength to reduce the risk of other fractures in the future. For more information about myeloma, or if you have personal questions related to your own or a loved one's diagnosis, please visit us at myeloma.org.
Joseph Mikhael, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FACP, FASCO
International Myeloma Foundation Medical Advisor
TGen, City of Hope Cancer Center—Phoenix, AZ, USA
Dr Mikhael is a Professor in the Clinical Genomics and Therapeutics Division at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope Cancer Center. He is also the Director of Myeloma research at the HonorHealth Research Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona. Dr Mikhael specializes clinically in plasma cell disorders, namely multiple myeloma, amyloidosis, and Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia. He is the PI of many clinical trials, primarily in relapsed multiple myeloma, and his other clinical research interests include pharmaco-economics, communication skills, and media relations.
Dr. Mikhael recently served as the Chief Medical Officer of the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) from 2018 to 2026 – he now serves as Medical Advisor to the IMF to provide guidance and strategic input in areas such as patient education, health disparities, collaboration with partners, international research, and publications.
Dr Mikhael has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles in these fields and lectures internationally on a regular basis. Dr. Mikhael is deeply committed to health disparities in myeloma and is the chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council at TGen. Dr. Mikhael is heavily involved in training future researchers and mentors junior faculty worldwide. Dr. Mikhael is an active member of the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) and recently led the ASCO guidelines in myeloma. Dr. Mikhael also serves as the Treasurer on the executive of the American Society of Hematology.
Dr. Mikhael did his medical training in Canada, including a fellowship in Multiple Myeloma at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. He also obtained his master’s degree in education from the University of Toronto. He then worked at the Mayo Clinic Arizona as a Hematologist from 2008-2018.