What Is the Prognosis for Multiple Myeloma? | Myeloma in a Minute or Less

What is the prognosis for someone with multiple myeloma? Dr. Joseph Mikhael, Chief Medical Officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, explains how survival rates have improved dramatically.

While myeloma remains serious, many patients now live over 10 years thanks to advancements in treatment. Prognosis varies based on individual factors, but there's growing optimism in the myeloma community as we move closer to a cure.

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View the transcript

- What is the prognosis for someone with multiple myeloma? Hi, everyone. Dr. Joseph Mikhael here, Chief Medical Officer of the International Myeloma Foundation. And I'm gonna talk a little bit about how we, as myeloma physicians, talk to our patients about their prognosis in less than a minute.

I often say to my patients, "I'm an optimistic realist." What does that mean? I'm optimistic because we have seen a huge improvement in survival in multiple myeloma. When I started in myeloma 25 years ago, most patients lived maybe one or two years. Now the vast majority of our patients are gonna live more than 10 years. But I'm also a realist 'cause I realize that sadly, a lot of patients, every year, about 13,000 in the United States die of multiple myeloma.

So prognosis is a huge spectrum and it really depends on lots of factors for each individual patient that they can talk to their doctor about. But there is a sense of optimism in the myeloma community. As we move closer and closer to a cure, we're getting closer and closer to controlling this disease, giving patients their lives back, so they can live unburdened by multiple myeloma.

For more information or if you have personal questions about multiple myeloma for yourself or a loved one, please reach out to us at myeloma.org. ♪ Hey, hey ♪ ♪ Hey, hey ♪

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.

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