# Functional Trajectories and Illness Experiences of Older Adults with Multiple Myeloma

> **NIH NIH R03** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2022 · $155,500

## Abstract

Multiple myeloma is a disease of aging, with a median age at diagnosis of almost 70 years. Most adults with
this condition also have several other age-related health conditions, including multiple chronic conditions and
cognitive and functional limitations. Furthermore, quality-of-life for patients with myeloma is much lower than
for those with other blood cancers. In this respect, the needs of older adults with multiple myeloma differ in
important ways from those of other cancer populations. With the increasing availability of new therapies to treat
myeloma, there is a growing urgency to understand how the benefits and harms of these treatments shape
functional capacity, quality-of-life, and the illness experience. Prior studies have failed to account for baseline
(pretreatment) level of functioning and have generally focused on traditional disease-centric metrics such as
survival and remission status and have not incorporated the range of outcomes that might be important to
patients. While disease-specific endpoints remain highly relevant to older adults with myeloma, more global
outcome measures addressing the impact of disease and treatment on the whole person are critical. Therefore
evaluating measures of function and quality-of-life which are increasingly relevant to older adults is critical as
these can profoundly shape the illness experience. To fill the existing knowledge gaps, I propose a pilot
observational study leveraging an existing Registry NCT03717844 at the University of North Carolina,
Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. This proposed observational study will quantify the frequency and
severity of decrements in cognitive and physical function and quality-of-life among older adults newly
diagnosed with multiple myeloma (Aim1 ); identify predictors of these outcomes (Aim 2), and elicit the
experiences and perspectives of older adults with myeloma and their care partners on illness and care
received (Aim 3). Knowledge gained from this pilot observational study will inform the design of a larger
observational study that will compare outcomes of different myeloma treatment regimens in older adults. This
data would also inform the design of studies to develop and test interventions to support shared decision-making
and a more individualized, person-centered approach to care for older adults with multiple myeloma.
The proposed study is a transdisciplinary effort between the Divisions of Geriatrics, Hematology, and
Oncology, and the Geriatric Oncology Program at the University of North Carolina. Hyman B. Muss MD
(Geriatric Oncology) will serve as the Primary Mentor with additional mentorship provided by Jan Busby-Whitehead
MD (Geriatrics), Dr. Tanya Wildes MD MSCI (Geriatric Hematology and Qualitative Research),
Sascha Tuchman MD MHS (Multiple Myeloma), Timothy Ahles PhD (Neurocognition), Kirsten Nyrop PhD
(Qualitative Research) and Allison Deal MS (Statistics).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10466918
- **Project number:** 5R03AG074030-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Shakira Jeanene Grant
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $155,500
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-08-15 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10466918

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10466918, Functional Trajectories and Illness Experiences of Older Adults with Multiple Myeloma (5R03AG074030-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10466918. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*