Emily Morris-McCarthy: Inspired by the impactful patient journey during Myeloma Awareness Month

Emily Morris-McCarthy, General Manager, Head of US Oncology at Sanofi, shared on their LinkedIn:

”Every March, Sanofi Oncology joins the multiple myeloma community to recognize Myeloma Awareness Month. For me, this month is an opportunity to pause and reflect on the “why” behind our day-to-day work: working towards improving the lives of people living with this incurable blood cancer.

I’m inspired by the impactful stories of people living with multiple myeloma, like Danielle. Danielle was diagnosed in 2011 at 46 years old, after experiencing pain in her leg that she thought was related to a herniated disc. After the pain spread to her hip, she saw several specialists before eventually learning that she has multiple myeloma. Danielle was determined not to let this set her back and has since made changes in her daily life to adjust to what she calls her “new normal.” The delays she experienced in her journey to a diagnosis is a testament to why spreading awareness and education about this difficult-to-treat cancer is so important. You can watch Danielle’s full story here.

For people like Danielle, it is imperative that we continue to seek out the perspectives of caregivers, healthcare providers and patients to better understand the needs of all involved and to inform our approach to research and development. By gaining insight into the value of holistic care, we as a community can better understand the unmet needs patients face, as well as the factors that drive treatment decision-making.

By placing more emphasis on the patient journey from the first step to the last, we aim to reorient the focus of research on what really matters. Providing therapies and care that look beyond the traditional needs, with a broader focus on the full patient experience, will help further the trust between HCPs, caregivers, and patients.

Looking ahead, we are optimistic that scientific innovation in the multiple myeloma space will help address the unmet needs patients face throughout their cancer journey. The development of targeted therapies remains at the forefront of our research as we continue to explore their potential to improve outcomes for patients. As researchers further examine these therapies with the goal of potentially expanding treatment applications, the possibility of serving a wider range of patients inspires hope.

Myeloma Awareness Month sets the tone for the journey ahead as Sanofi and our fellow researchers continue to chase the miracles of science in pursuit of a better future for people with multiple myeloma.”

Source: Emily Morris-McCarthy/LinkedIn