The spotlight on multiple myeloma will have many seeing red this week
‘Light the World Red’ is a global initiative to raise myeloma, not melanoma, awareness
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Have you ever heard something like this after telling someone you have multiple myeloma? “Oh, my uncle had that! It was on his nose!”
A lot of people confuse myeloma with the skin cancer melanoma, since the names sound similar. But that’s about the only similarity. Melanoma is more common, with 112,000 new cases expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. this year. That’s more than triple the number of anticipated myeloma diagnoses. Melanoma has a better five-year survival rate — about 95% — compared with 62% for myeloma.
And melanoma gets more press! As summer arrives in the Northern Hemisphere, we’ll see plenty of articles reminding us to protect ourselves from ultraviolet, or UV, light, the leading cause of melanoma.
Myeloma doesn’t get that kind of attention. But in March, myeloma gets a spotlight — a red spotlight.
Myeloma Action Month
March is Myeloma Action Month, a time to raise awareness about the second most common form of blood cancer. The International Myeloma Foundation established it in 2009 as Myeloma Awareness Month and later updated the name to emphasize “individual and collective actions that positively impact the myeloma community worldwide.”
The Myeloma Action Month website offers easy ways you can take action. The simplest option is to use a template to create a custom campaign graphic, which you can then post on your social media accounts. It took me less than 30 seconds to create my own graphic that reads, “I may have myeloma, but it doesn’t have me,” which is now on my Facebook page.
If you’re a bit more social media-savvy, the foundation offers a whole social media toolkit! And there’s a downloadable patient letter that’s designed to inform primary healthcare providers about the signs and symptoms of myeloma to promote early diagnoses.
Lighting the world red on Thursday
The campaign moves from the virtual to the real world on March 26, when sites all over the globe will be lit up in red for World Myeloma Day. The official color for myeloma is actually burgundy, but I imagine red lights are easier to obtain.
Participating locations include landmarks and major medical centers. To see if there’s one near you, check out the map. There are just two near me in San Diego, but the map shows multiple sites in some cities. I counted nine in Tampa, Florida, alone, and almost that many in Christchurch, New Zealand! No site near you? You can DIY it at home with a red light bulb on your porch, or a red candle in your window.
Why go to all this trouble? Do awareness campaigns really make a difference?
Well, just take a look at the impact of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which started in 1985. According to the American Cancer Society, there have been major advances since then, and breast cancer mortality is down more than 40%.
The International Myeloma Foundation says increased awareness of multiple myeloma can lead to earlier diagnoses and better treatment outcomes. It can also help promote more research to find a cure. And perhaps people will stop mistaking it for melanoma.
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.
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