In the fight against myeloma, hope is my superpower

In my first column, I wrote about how my myeloma diagnosis put me in a place I call the land of “I Don’t Know,” a place with far more questions than answers. Since I’ve spent my career in journalism seeking answers, I view my journey through that land as a challenge, sometimes frustrating, sometimes scary.

But I’m not writing this column for me. It’s for my fellow patients and their caregivers, who may be daunted, or even depressed, by the regular twists and turns in their myeloma journey. My goal here is not to depress anyone. I want to encourage, reassure, and enlighten whenever I can. So, when it came time to choose a name for this column, I began thinking about ways to convey that desire.

I quickly landed on “hope” as a theme and jotted down a few possibilities, such as “Hope Over Fear,” from a sweatshirt I bought a few years ago; “Infinite Hope,” from a quote by Martin Luther King Jr.; and “The Lighthouse Is Hope,” as said by Christopher Reeve.

Then it hit me — “Hope Is My Superpower.”

Recommended Reading

November 27, 2025 by Samuel Ike

Becoming a caregiver meant adopting a new vocabulary

It stands for hope

Superheroes have always played a part in my life, even after I got diagnosed. My home office walls are covered with prints and posters I’ve collected at pop culture conventions over the years. Batman bursts through a window above my desk, flanked by the Flash and Supergirl. Action figures populate my bookshelves. I went to my first Velcade (bortezomib) treatment wearing a T-shirt featuring five DC Comics heroines and the slogan, “Nevertheless, she persisted.” Several superhero Funko Pops came with me to the hospital for my stem cell transplant.

These were some of the things that gave me hope during that first year, and my goal in this column is to do what I can to give others hope as well.

I didn’t learn until after choosing my title that the saying is a quote attributed to attorney and social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson, who also counsels, “Don’t let anybody or anything make you hopeless.” Stevenson was discussing social justice, but the message also applies here.

Researchers assemble!

As frightening as a myeloma diagnosis is, there are reasons to hope.

Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new diagnostic test, and I’ve seen several new treatments approved since my diagnosis in 2019. These treatments are helping patients live longer.

In June, the International Myeloma Foundation reported the five-year survival rate for multiple myeloma had risen to 62.4%. The National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program’s latest data page also shows a steady decline in myeloma deaths.

This week, we’ll get even more reasons to hope. A team of heroes is meeting in Orlando, Florida, right now. No, not the Avengers or the Justice League. It’s the American Society of Hematology (ASH), which is holding its 67th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition through Dec. 9. The gathering bills itself as “the world’s most comprehensive hematology event of the year.”

ASH claims it has accepted a record 8,200 summaries of research projects, referred to as abstracts. Readers can follow news from this year’s meeting here on Rare Cancer News.

These abstracts will be presented by heroes who wear lab coats instead of capes. They may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but they do work for a better tomorrow for every one of us, and that makes them heroes.

Note: Rare Cancer News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Rare Cancer News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to rare cancer.