African Americans face pronounced disparities in multiple myeloma care, from diagnosis through treatment access. Despite being roughly 20% of those living with this blood cancer, Black patients made up only 4% of participants in drug approval trials submitted to the FDA, according to a 2022 analysis.
The consequences are severe. Black and Hispanic patients receive the newest therapies less frequently than white patients and typically access them later in their disease progression. On average, patients visit their primary doctor three times before accurate diagnosis, with even longer delays for Black Americans. During this time, the disease causes fractures, severe anemia, and kidney damage.
Diane Hunter’s experience illustrates this pattern. Her primary care physician dismissed recommendations from specialists, refusing both a hematologist referral and bone marrow biopsy despite warning signs. Only after finding a new doctor did she receive her multiple myeloma diagnosis.
Research funding cuts threaten to widen these gaps further. Michael Andreini of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation noted that myeloma comprises nearly 2% of all cancers yet receives less than 1% of the National Cancer Institute’s budget.
Jim Washington’s case demonstrates how resources shape outcomes. With premium insurance and a concierge doctor, he quickly received diagnosis and accessed cutting-edge CAR T-cell therapy when his cancer returned. Researcher Monique Hartley-Brown explained that patients in underserved areas often lack access to clinical trials, while historical distrust and geographic barriers prevent participation.
Though recent treatment advances offer hope, their benefits remain unequally distributed across racial lines.
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See: “Better Treatments Buoy Multiple-Myeloma Patients, Bound by Research Cuts and Racial Disparities” (October 31, 2025)Â
