From left are Linda Huguelet and Susie Novis-Durie, co-founder and president of the International Myeloma Foundation, at the 2016 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition.When Signal Mountain resident Linda Huguelet was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2010, at age 46, she knew little about the cancer, which is formed in the plasma cells of bone marrow.
At the recommendation of one of her nurses, she found information and support through the Chattanooga Multiple Myeloma Networking Group. Six months after she and her husband Jack started attending the support group, they took over as co-leaders.
“It’s not that common of a cancer, and it involves different terminology, so it’s helpful to talk about it with other patients,” said Huguelet, as to why she feels the group is an important resource. “[Leading the group] is a big commitment, but we were excited because of how much it helped us.”
Myeloma, also called multiple myeloma, is being contracted by an increasing number of people – particularly younger people – and is currently incurable. There were an estimated 30,330 new cases of myeloma diagnosed in 2016, accounting for 1.8 percent of all new cancer cases, and there are an estimated 95,688 people currently living with myeloma, according to the National Cancer Institute.
While there’s no known cause, Huguelet said environmental factors are thought to play a role, and myeloma tends to be more prevalent among African-Americans. She said that since symptoms, including back pain and anemia, can be a result of many conditions other than myeloma, and many general practitioners are unfamiliar with this cancer, it often goes undiagnosed for several years.