The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) Highlights #kNOwMyeloma Campaign for Blood Cancer Awareness Month 2022

STUDIO CITY, Calif., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month. This year, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is bringing multiple myeloma—the second most common type of blood cancer—to the forefront through its #kNOwMyeloma campaign.

In 2010, the U.S. Congress designated September as Blood Cancer Awareness Month to create awareness, increase fundraising, and support patients affected by all types of blood cancers.

For 2022, the IMF's goal is to reach people who may not have heard of myeloma as well as those who are living with this type of blood cancer. Our aim is to increase awareness of multiple myeloma while engaging with the myeloma community to inspire them to continue advocating for those impacted by the disease.

Throughout the month of September, the IMF will ask one simple question: "Do You Know Myeloma?" The IMF invites everyone to explore the campaign through the IMF's Blood Cancer Awareness Month website.

When you visit the IMF's Blood Cancer Awareness website, you will find a rich trove of myeloma facts, research breakthroughs in myeloma treatment, and inspirational stories of hope and resilience from those living with the disease. The IMF encourages you to share these infographics on social media while using the hashtag #kNOwMyeloma. You can download the infographics from the IMF's social media tool kit.

"Do You Know Myeloma?" aims to fulfill the following goals through this educational campaign:

1. KNOW Myeloma: Through its Blood Cancer Awareness Month educational campaign, the IMF seeks to educate both the general public and those living with the disease to know as much about myeloma  as possible so they can gain access to the best treatment options available by:

• Educating them about symptoms, early diagnosis, tests and staging, and other essential information about myeloma
• Informing them about the IMF's wealth of myeloma-related resources and publications, both in print and online
• Raising their awareness on the high incidence of myeloma among those of African descent
• Introducing them to the IMF's InfoLine team—how it addresses myeloma-related questions and concerns in a caring and compassionate manner
• Making them aware of the IMF Support Group team's crucial role in empowering patients and care partners with information, insight, and hope

2. NO Myeloma: The IMF hopes to eradicate the disease by inspiring people to advocate for the IMF's mission of working toward prevention and a cure. Through its advocacy efforts all throughout Blood Cancer Awareness Month, the IMF seeks to:

• Inform the myeloma community of the IMF's research initiatives, such as the Black Swan Research Initiative ® (BSRI) and the iStopMM Project—the largest population-screening study for MGUS—the precursor of myeloma.
• Raise awareness in the myeloma community of existing as well as new and breakthrough treatment options, such as CAR T-cell therapy and Bispecific Antibody Immunotherapy
• Provide information about the International Myeloma Working Group's (IMWG) Virtual Biobank and Immune Therapy Registry to encourage tissue sampling from myeloma patients
• Advocate for early detection and diagnosis among African Americans, who are at a higher risk for myeloma
• Raise awareness about the M-POWER Project and its objectives: improving the short- and long-term outcomes of African American myeloma patients and breaking down barriers for the African American myeloma community
• Provide the latest updates on ongoing clinical trials and FDA drug approvals for the treatment of myeloma
• Increase fundraising efforts for the IMF's research initiatives

IMF Chairman of the Board Dr. Brian G.M. Durie said, "For more than 30 years, the IMF has been on a mission to improve the lives of myeloma patients and find a cure. We believe that the early treatment strategies that underpin the iStopMM Project and the cure trials hold the key to achieving the cure."

IMF Patient, President & CEO Yelak Biru continues to be optimistic about the future: "With the development of so many new treatments over the past 20 years, patients can reimagine living with myeloma. That's why it's so important for the IMF to continue putting patients at the center of research, education, advocacy, and support. With all the recent developments in the IMF's intense search for a cure, there is more hope than ever before."

No gesture for Blood Cancer Awareness Month is too small. All actions add to the campaign's momentum, its ability to impact those living with blood cancers, and to raise funds toward prevention and a cure for multiple myeloma.

Learn how to get involved and follow the hashtag #kNOwMyeloma on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

The IMF is grateful to the following sponsors for supporting myeloma awareness during Blood Cancer Awareness Month:

Platinum Sponsors:
Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Karyopharm Therapeutics, and Legend Biotech

Gold Sponsors:
GSK, and Pfizer

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow plasma cells—white blood cells that make antibodies. A cancerous or malignant plasma cell is called a myeloma cell. Myeloma is called "multiple" because there are frequently multiple patches or areas in bone where it grows. It can appear as both a tumor and/or an area of bone loss, and it affects the places where bone marrow is active in an adult: the hollow area within the bones of the spine, skull, pelvis, rib cage, and the areas around the shoulders and hips.

Founded in 1990, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is the first and largest global foundation focusing specifically on multiple myeloma. The Foundation's reach extends to more than 525,000 members in 140 countries worldwide. The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure by focusing on four key areas: research, education, support, and advocacy. The IMF has conducted more than 250 educational seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned InfoLine, and in 2001, established the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), a collaborative research initiative focused on improving myeloma treatment options for patients. In 2012, the IMF launched the Black Swan Research Initiative®, a groundbreaking research project aimed at curing myeloma. The IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE (2873). The global website is www.myeloma.org.

Twitter: @IMFmyeloma

Instagram: @imfmyeloma 

Facebook: @myeloma 

LinkedIn: International Myeloma Foundation

Media Contacts:

Peter Anton
[email protected]

Jason London
[email protected]

SOURCE International Myeloma Foundation