The Myeloma Minutes

Meera shares her powerful 15-year journey with multiple myeloma — from diagnosis during pregnancy to stem cell transplant, maintenance therapy and ultimately CAR-T treatment leading to remission.

 

📌Key Takeaways:

• CAR-T can work fast! Mira’s light chains became undetectable within weeks.
• Relapse doesn’t mean the end of options: new treatments are changing what’s possible.
• You are not alone: sharing real patient stories helps ...

In this episode Doctors Jam & Sally explain CAR-T cell therapy for myeloma - how it works, what the treatment journey looks like, the potential side effects, and why it offers hope for longer treatment-free time.

📌Key Takeaways:

• Your own immune cells can be re-engineered to find and destroy myeloma - a truly personalised treatment.
• After CAR-T, many patients can have months or years off regular therapy.
• It’s powerful and ...

This episode explains the new NICE-approved combination of belantamab, pomalidomide and dexamethasone for people whose myeloma has relapsed after first-line treatment, including benefits, side effects and how treatment decisions are made.

📌Key Takeaways:

• This new combination can keep myeloma under control for nearly three years after first relapse.
• Eye side effects are common but closely monitored, reversible and manageable w...

This episode looks ahead to 2026, exploring upcoming myeloma treatments, major research advances, and the topics patients and carers most want to understand.

📌Key Takeaways:

• Powerful new immunotherapy combinations could dramatically change how long treatments work.
• CAR T-cell therapy and bispecific antibodies are moving closer to earlier use in myeloma care.
• Living well with myeloma matters more than ever - from infection ris...

Dr Jam Katari and Dr Sally Moore are joined by leading myeloma experts to look back on 2025’s biggest breakthroughs; from functional cures and new treatments to patient-friendly innovations.

This is part 2 of a seasonal special, featuring Professor Karthik Ramasamy and Dr. Ceri Bygrave. To hear the first part, please follow this link: Part1

🌟 Three key take-away points from Part 2

1. Functional cure is no longer just a dream — ...

Dr Jam Katari and Dr Sally Moore are joined by leading myeloma experts to look back on 2025’s biggest breakthroughs; from early treatment for smouldering myeloma to cutting-edge CAR-T therapy made inside the body.

This is part 1 of a seasonal special, featuring Professor Karthik Ramasamy and Dr. Ceri Bygrave. Please ensure you listen to our second part next week.

🌟 Three key take-away points

1. Early action: Could treating smou...

This episode introduces Talquetamab - a newly approved bispecific antibody for relapsed myeloma - explaining how it works, who it’s for, and what side effects patients should expect and prepare for.

📌Key Takeaways:

• Talquetamab is a brand-new treatment targeting GPRC5D - offering another effective option after several previous therapies.
• Early side effects like fever, blood pressure changes or confusion are monitored closely a...

Sean Molloy, renown spinal surgeon at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) NHS Trust in Stanmore explains how tailored bracing, breakthrough bone healing in myeloma, physiotherapy and minimally invasive vertebroplasty can transform pain, mobility and long-term spinal stability.

 

📌Key Takeaways:

• A brace can act like “nature’s own surgery”, guiding powerful myeloma-driven bone regrowth to prevent long-term spinal col...

Dr Jam & Sally unpack what neuropathy is, why it happens in myeloma treatment, and how patients can recognise, prevent and manage it to protect their quality of life.

📌Key Takeaways:

• Know the signs early – tingling, numbness or pain shouldn’t be ignored; speak up before symptoms worsen.
• Treatment can be adjusted – modern dosing and combinations make neuropathy less common and more manageable.
• You don’t have to live with i...

Dr Jam & Sally unpack what remission, relapse and refractory disease truly mean for people living with myeloma — and explore how close we are to talking about cure.

 

📌Key Takeaways:

• Remission ≠ cure – myeloma can be controlled for years, even if it never fully disappears.
• Monitoring matters – blood tests, bone marrow checks and scans together tell the full story.
• Hope is growing – deeper remissions and new tests mean “fu...

This episode unpacks the complex world of myeloma genetics - what high and standard risk really mean, how these tests guide treatment, and how future advances could lead to truly personalised care with Sarah Gooding.

Sarah is a colleague, and an Honorary Consultant Haematologist, based in Oxford.

 

📌Key Takeaways:

• Your myeloma is unique - genetic tests help doctors understand how it may behave and respond to treatment.
• High-r...

This episode features Dr Sophie Castell, CEO of Myeloma UK, sharing insights into the charity’s vital work in research, advocacy, patient support, and tackling inequalities in myeloma care.

 

📌Key Takeaways:

• Survival rates for myeloma have quadrupled — and living well is now as important as living longer.

• Myeloma UK drives progress from early diagnosis to survivorship, always keeping patients’ voices central.

• The new “Kno...

Welcome to The Myeloma Minutes.  We've now moved to a fortnightly release schedule, so you can now hear us every-other Thursday.

This episode explains the newly approved four-drug treatment (Isatuximab, Velcade, Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone) for older people with myeloma who are not eligible for a stem cell transplant.

📌Key Takeaways:

• This four-drug ‘quadruplet’ can keep myeloma under control for many years — even in older ...

Welcome to The Myeloma Minutes.  We've now moved to a fortnightly release schedule, so you can now hear us every-other Thursday.

This episode explores bispecific antibodies — how they work, the benefits they bring, and the key side effects patients and carers need to know about.

📌Key Takeaways:

• Bispecific antibodies ‘wake up’ your immune system to fight myeloma — and response rates are higher than ever before.
• Early side effe...

Welcome to The Myeloma Minutes.  We've now moved to a fortnightly release schedule, so you can now hear us every-other Thursday.

Specialist nurse Alex Scott walks patients and carers through every step of the autologous stem cell transplant process, from preparation to recovery, with clarity, compassion, and practical advice.

📌Key Takeaways:

• It’s not just medical – emotional and practical support is essential to navigating a ...

Welcome to The Myeloma Minutes.  We've now moved to a fortnightly release schedule, so you can now hear us every-other Thursday.

This episode explores what happens after a stem cell transplant in multiple myeloma, focusing on consolidation and maintenance treatments - especially the use of lenalidomide - and how these therapies aim to sustain remission and quality of life.

📌Key Takeaways:

• Maintenance therapy isn't just more t...

Welcome to The Myeloma Minutes.  We've now moved to a fortnightly release schedule, so you can now hear us every-other Thursday.

This episode walks you through every stage of an autologous stem cell transplant for myeloma - from preparation and chemotherapy to recovery and going home.

📌Key Takeaways:

• You’ll get high-dose chemotherapy (melphalan) followed by your own stem cells - not someone else’s.
• Expect a tough week of diar...

Welcome to The Myeloma Minutes.  We've now moved to a fortnightly release schedule, so you can now hear us every-other Thursday. 

During this episode, Jam & Sally give an in-depth, patient-friendly guide to stem cell mobilisation - the essential step before undergoing an autologous stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma.

 

📌Key Takeaways:

• Stem cells are collected from your blood - not your bone marrow - thanks to cleve...

Welcome to The Myeloma Minutes.  

During this episode, Jam & Sally talk about a ground-breaking new combination therapy for multiple myeloma available on the NHS from this week.  They highlight how it works, who it’s for, and what patients need to know.

📌Key Takeaways:

• A new 'Trojan horse' drug is now approved on the NHS for first relapse myeloma.

• Treatment is effective, flexible — and may only be needed every few mon...