Diversity in clinical studies​

Why representation is essential for creating better options for everyone with multiple myeloma

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, you may have heard about clinical research studies as an option. Clinical studies are research studies that test potential treatments or medical devices, as well as investigate new ways to use existing treatments. They are an important part of the development of new therapies for multiple myeloma.
It’s important to understand why diversity matters in multiple myeloma clinical trials. Multiple myeloma adversely affects different populations. Gender, age, and geographic location all have an impact1. African Americans are twice as likely to develop multiple myeloma compared to other ethnicities. They tend to be diagnosed at a younger age and have poorer outcomes2. As much as 20% of multiple myeloma cases in the US affect African Americans, despite making up only 13% of the population. Despite this fact, African American participants have been found to make up a median percentage of only 4.5% of multiple myeloma clinical studies3.
Multiple myeloma is also mainly a disease of the elderly with people being diagnosed at an average age of 66-70.
Given these disparities, it’s important to ensure that clinical studies are representative of the population affected by multiple myeloma. Clinical study participants should include individuals from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, genders, ages, income brackets, and geographic locations.
When clinical studies include a diverse group of participants, researchers can more accurately determine how effective a treatment is across different populations and identify potential side effects or complications that may be unique to certain populations.
By including a diverse group of participants in clinical studies, researchers can better understand how a treatment affects different populations and ensure that it is safe for everyone.
If you are interested in participating in a clinical study, talk to your doctor about available options and the importance of diversity in research. Together, we can work towards developing more effective and equitable treatments for multiple myeloma.

Steps we’re taking to support diversity in clinical trials.

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If you would like more information on diversity in clinical studies and why it’s important, please download the brochures below.

Citations

  1. American Cancer Society. Myeloma Facts & Statistics. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://cancerstatisticscenter.cancer.org/#!/cancer-site/Myeloma

  2. Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. (2021). Understanding multiple myeloma in the Black community. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://themmrf.org/multiple-myeloma/black-patients/a

  3. Bhatnagar, V., Gormley, N., Kazandjian, D., Goldberg, K., McKee, A.E., Blumenthal, G., Farrell, A.T., Pazdur R. (2017). FDA Analysis of Racial Demographics in Multiple Myeloma Trials. Blood, 130 (Supplement 1): 4352. doi: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.V130.Suppl_1.4352.4352a

Citations

  1. American Cancer Society. Myeloma Facts & Statistics. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://cancerstatistics
    center.cancer.org/#!/
    cancer-site/Myeloma

  2. Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. (2021). Understanding multiple myeloma in the Black community. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://themmrf.org/
    multiple-myeloma/black-patients/a

  3. Bhatnagar, V., Gormley, N., Kazandjian, D., Goldberg, K., McKee, A.E., Blumenthal, G., Farrell, A.T., Pazdur R. (2017). FDA Analysis of Racial Demographics in Multiple Myeloma Trials. Blood, 130 (Supplement 1): 4352. doi: https://doi.org/10.1182/
    blood.V130.Suppl_1.4352
    .4352a