Linda Huguelet, leader of the Chattanooga Multiple Myeloma Networking Group, joined Susie Novis, founder and president of the International Myeloma Foundation at the ASH Conference.
Joining a record-breaking 26,000 hematologists and healthcare professionals who attended the recent 56th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Francisco, Ca. were 12 cancer patients and support group leaders. Linda Huguelet, co-leader of the Chattanooga Multiple Myeloma Networking Group, was one of them.
At the conference, Ms. Huguelet was brought up-to-date on the latest research, therapies, and tools available to myeloma patients. In turn, she reported the news to patients back home, using social media tools like blogs, Twitter, and video.
Ms. Huguelet’s participation at the conference was sponsored by the International Myeloma Foundation, the oldest and largest organization dedicated to improving the life and care of myeloma patients around the world. Myeloma, also called multiple myeloma, is a cancer of cells in the bone marrow that affects production of red cells, white cells and stem cells and can damage bone. It’s currently incurable and is being contracted by an increasing number of people and is particularly affecting younger people.
Ms. Huguelet, who was diagnosed with myeloma in 2010 at the age of 46, typically follows news from medical conferences online on the IMF website, says “Experiencing the presentations first-hand allowed me to have a better understanding of the exciting advances taking place in myeloma research. I’m looking forward to sharing a comprehensive overview with my group. The amount of research taking place is so encouraging and there are several emerging new treatments under development.”
She will pass along news about the research taking place when the Chattanooga Multiple Myeloma Networking Group meets after the first of the year. The Chattanooga Multiple Myeloma Networking Group meets the first Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. Meetings are held at the Memorial Center for Cancer Support located next to Memorial Hospital.
Ms. Huguelet was one of the many success stories present at ASH. Held at the Moscone Convention Center, the ASH annual meeting is the premier hematology conclave in the world, said officials. Some 300 pharmaceutical companies, medical suppliers, clinical diagnostic and research-based companies, publishers, and nonprofit organizations were on hand in the state-of-the-art exhibit hall, IMF among them.
Read Ms. Huguelet’s blog coverage of the ASH meeting here: http://ash2014blogs.myeloma.org/category/posts/linda-huguelet/