The December 10th meeting will be our annual holiday celebration - a time to reflect on the past year and to share hopes and plans for 2017. Everyone will receive a star for their name badge to indicate another year of living with a Myeloma diagnosis. If you can, please bring an appetizer, finger food or dessert to share and enjoy
At our January 14, 2017 meeting, Jessica Perrella, MSW, will address the emotional and sexual effects of cancer treatments, specifically for people with multiple myeloma. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions related to sexuality, intimacy, relationships and family dynamics.
The February 11, 2017 program will be a presentation of highlights about Multiple Myeloma research and treatment from the recent annual ASH (American of Society of Hematology) meeting. Our speaker will be Adam D. Cohen, MD, Assistant Professor and Director of Myeloma Immunotherapy at the Abramson Cancer Center of the U of Pennsylvania.
For our March 11, 2017 meeting we welcome Mary DeRome, Director of Medical Communications and Education at the MMRF (Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation), who will discuss their Precision Medicine Initiative, the CoMMpass Study which maps patients' genomic profiles to clinical outcomes, and the CoMMunity Gateway program which enables patients to get news about treatment and connect with others with myeloma. If you can, please bring a dessert to share.
For our April 8, 2017 meeting, we will be splitting into Patient and Caregiver groups after the general announcements. Each group will have a facilitator and will be an opportunity for questions, discussions and information-sharing with others who are in a similar situation.
Our May 13, 2017 meeting will provide information on two activities that can be helpful to cancer patients (as well as to others). Our speakers will be Mara Wei from the Penn Mindfulness Program and Michelle Stortz, a certified Yoga instructor who works with people with cancer and chronic illnesses.
For our June 10, 2017 meeting Dr. Jack Watkins from Bristol-Myers Squibb will be speaking on immunotherapy and its use in the treatment of multiple myeloma. As you may know, immunotherapy is treatment that helps your immune system fight your cancer. (American Cancer Society's definition of immunotherapy) It is a fast-moving area of research, especially for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
The next regular meeting of the PMMNG will be held on Saturday, July 8th, from 1:30 – 3:30 PM at the Ralston House. Christina Bach will be our facilitator for this open discussion. As you may recall Christina is an oncology social worker who has presented many times for our group.
