Sandy Wong, MD, on Advances in Myeloma Treatment

Sandy Wong, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, shares her thoughts on the advances in myeloma treatment and research that she’s seen throughout her career.

“We have come a very long way in terms of the treatment of disease,” Dr. Wong said. “Every year or two, there are new drugs that are approved for the treatment of this disease.”

Novel therapies and “game-changing drugs” have had a major impact on patients with multiple myeloma, she said.

“It’s just amazing to see the revolution over time, in terms of the treatment of this disease,” Dr. Wong said.

Beyond the advances in treatment efficacy for multiple myeloma, there’s another major benefit to these therapies.

“The patient’s experience with treatment is also so important, and we don’t talk enough about it,” she said. “Patients that are treated with traditional chemotherapy agents, it can be really difficult, and luckily, we now have newer and novel agents. We still have room for improvement. There’s always room for improvement. But we have definitely come a long way and there’s a lot to be proud of.”

While much progress has been made, Dr. Wong emphasized that a cure for multiple myeloma is still “a goal that we all must strive for.”