How many people get multiple myeloma?
Multiple Myeloma is the second most common blood cancer after non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and the number of patients diagnosed with this incurable disease is increasing every year. According to the latest figures from the American Cancer Society, an estimated 32,110 adults in the U.S. will be diagnosed with multiple myeloma this year and 12,960 will die of this disease.
What is the duke multiple myeloma bike ride?
The Duke Multiple Myeloma Bike Ride is a 25k, 50k or 100k road bike ride from Duke’s North Pavilion building at 2400 Pratt Street in Durham, through rural Durham and Orange counties before returning to Duke. The terrain is typical for the Piedmont area of North Carolina with roads winding through forests and farms with short, but frequent rolling hills.
The Duke Multiple Myeloma Bike Ride, is presented by the Duke Division of Hematologic Malignancies & Cellular Therapy (HMCT) which is integrated within the Duke Cancer Institute, one of only 49 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation. The HMCT Program includes the various healthcare professionals, research staff, administrative staff and multidisciplinary specialties that promote health and improve lives by preventing, diagnosing, and treating blood cancers such as multiple myeloma through innovative and holistic patient care, research, and education.
Why should I participate in the multiple myeloma bike ride?
At the Duke Cancer Institute, we are fighting this deadly disease, and we need your help. Supporting the Multiple Myeloma Bike Ride makes it possible to conduct multiple myeloma research, provide exceptional patient care for our myeloma patients, and lead multidisciplinary education focused on myeloma. Additionally, it also serves as a festive and positive event for patients and families who are active in the myeloma community. “Unfortunately, multiple myeloma remains an obscure disease for the vast majority of the population”, said Cristina Gasparetto, MD, Director of the Multiple Myeloma Program at Duke. “Part of overcoming this issue requires raising awareness, as well as educating patients and their family members facing a diagnosis of multiple myeloma. As myeloma therapy continues to evolve with new novel agents, diagnostic tools, transplant advances, and hope for extended survival, patients and caregivers require additional educational opportunities and support”.
As a National Cancer Institute - designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, we offer a level of expertise that can only be found in the top four percent of cancer centers across the country with this designation. Additionally, we offer our patients access to more than 50 active clinical trials specific to hematologic malignancies and transplantation. Some of these trials are only offered at the Duke Cancer Institute. As a result, we offer a broad selection of treatment options to our patients, including some who are not considered candidates for treatment elsewhere. Many of these approaches were pioneered at Duke and now offer new hope to people with myeloma.
Thomas Goode, a patient of Dr. Gasparetto’s, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in November 2005. “As a patient, it’s an honor to ride in this myeloma bike ride after knowing all that I’ve been through,” he said. “It’s a great feeling seeing the patients, staff and families cheer the riders on as we return.”
How Can I help?
We are excited about the annual Duke Multiple Myeloma Bike Ride and expect this event to grow with each passing year. We would greatly appreciate any donations (monetary or food, i.e., bottled water, bananas, apples, granola bars) in support of this event. All donations are tax deductible. Of course, we also encourage you to ride as individuals or as a team.
Our event would not be possible without our volunteers. We have a variety of opportunities for you to help before the ride and the day of the ride! If you are interested in riding during the event, you can choose a specific time slot for volunteering and also register for the ride event as a participant. Volunteers will receive our heartfelt gratitude *AND* a race t-shirt!
We are always looking for sponsors and volunteers!
