Multiple Myeloma Research Explained

Controlling multiple myeloma is good—curing it is even better

Our sights are firmly set on finding a cure for multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer.

We are home to some of the top myeloma researchers in the world, and we’re closing in on the disease from multiple angles. Already, patients are living longer with fewer debilitating side effects. We want to push forward with research that allows patients to live with the certainty that their myeloma can be controlled – or even cured.

Leading the charge—and sometimes the pack of cyclists riding for a cure—is Rafat Abonour, MD, who goes to extraordinary distances for his patients.

#ResearchCuresCancer.

NEW! Rapid Access Clinic

At IU Health’s new Rapid Access Clinic, you’ll receive prompt access to the specialized care you need to achieve the best possible outcome.

If you’re told you may have cancer, a certified physician assistant will guide you through an expedited diagnostic process that gets you into treatment faster and back to life more quickly.

Learn More

Your unique story could be the key to finding a cure

Every multiple myeloma patient has a unique disease. No two myelomas are exactly the same. That’s why this disease is so difficult to cure. At IU, we are learning everything we can about the diversity of this disease to better develop and personalize stem cell transplants and immunotherapy.

By participating in the Indiana Myeloma Registry, you can provide the data that physician-scientists need to pinpoint how the disease develops, who’s most at risk, and how well current treatment protocols are working.

Take a look to find out how the study works and who’s eligible to participate.

Indiana Myeloma Registry

Clinical trials

We can cure cancer, but we can’t do it alone—find out if you or a loved one might qualify for one of our research studies.

Team Science: Kelvin Lee, MD

Dr. Kelvin Lee isn’t just our cancer center director. He’s also a world-renowned expert in multiple myeloma and immunology. He has authored more than 100 articles in prestigious medical journals and he holds two patents.

Those achievements are impressive, but they aren’t what make him such a beloved physician and teacher. When he talks about research and how it impacts patients, you can hear (and even see, as his hands fly around enthusiastically) the passion.

In fact, his personal mantra is #ResearchCuresCancer.

Meet Dr. Lee

For this to be successful, we need to get our science into our patients. We’re well-poised to light the way to ending cancer’s darkness.

Kelvin Lee, MD — Director, IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center

Going 2,300+ extra miles: Rafat Abonour, MD

The more Dr. Abonour gets to know his patients, the more he loathes myeloma.

That’s why you’ll find Dr. Rafat Abonour biking thousands of miles to raise awareness and research funding. The annual Miles for Myeloma bicycling event has generated more than $6 million in community donations for myeloma research.

When he’s wearing his white lab coat, Dr. Abonour directs the multiple myeloma team for IU Precision Health – one of the university’s Grand Challenge initiatives. His team is studying everything from how weight loss after bariatric surgery impacts myeloma patients to CAR T-cell immunotherapy.

Precision Health Miles for Myeloma

We will never stop asking why multiple myeloma causes harm to patients, and we will explore the most effective treatments that will provide long and healthy lives for those afflicted by this horrible disease.

Dr. Rafat Abonour — Harry and Edith Gladstein Professor of Cancer Research

Team Science: Attaya Suvannasankha, MD

If you volunteer for a multiple myeloma clinical trial, there’s a good chance Dr. Attaya Suvannasankha will be at the helm.

Through her leadership role in the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium, she’s a nationally known expert in getting new treatments from the lab to the clinic.

Dr. Suvannasankha and her colleagues need your help to make advancements in myeloma care. Find out if you or a loved one might qualify for one of our research studies.

View Clinical TrialsMeet Dr. Suvannasankha

Simon Says Expert Series

Our monthly video series brings together cancer center researchers and physicians, patient advocates, and others to talk about various cancer-related topics.

We’ve covered “chemobrain,” fear of cancer recurrence, health disparities, exercise and physical therapy, the emerging field of supportive oncology, and more.

Coming Soon Recorded Sessions

#ResearchCuresCancer

Support Our Research