‘I Thought It Was Just Back Pain’: Understanding the Signs of Multiple Myeloma

Photo Courtesy: Adobe Stock (Not an actual patient or healthcare provider)

Rich’s Multiple Myeloma Story

For Rich, what started as nagging back pain and fatigue became impossible to ignore. He’d always been active and on the move, so when the pain began, he assumed it was the result of aging or old injuries.

“I thought it was just part of getting older,” he says. “I figured I’d pulled something and that it would get better.” But the pain didn’t ease, it got worse. He also began experiencing shortness of breath, which made even simple daily tasks harder.

Rich (Rich is not a patient on Blenrep) [Photo Courtesy: GSK]

Still, Rich put off seeing a doctor until his symptoms became unbearable. By the time he went to the emergency room, he was in critical condition with spinal pain, severe shortness of breath, and bladder problems. After two days in the emergency room, Rich was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

“I was in disbelief at first,” he recalls. “You hear the word ‘cancer,’ and it changes everything. But I also realized how grateful I was to finally have answers.”

Rich was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells in the bone marrow. With support from his healthcare team and loved ones, and after beginning treatment, he slowly started to rebuild his strength and find a new sense of purpose.

“It took time to process, but once I understood what multiple myeloma was, I did what I could to learn more,” he says. 

These days, Rich enjoys walking outside, traveling, playing guitar, and using his voice to raise awareness about myeloma in the community. He volunteers with several national and local health organizations, and as a coach with a patient advocacy group to share his story and help others find support, upliftment and direction as they move through their own diagnoses. 

Rich is especially passionate about reaching Black audiences, who are more than twice as likely to develop multiple myeloma compared with white Americans. “We need to break the stigma around cancer and talk about it openly,” he says. “Awareness and early action can make a real difference. I want our community to feel empowered to take control of their health.”

Taking The First Step 

Multiple myeloma can often be difficult to recognize because its symptoms can be similar to other conditions or mistaken for everyday signs of aging, as was the case for Rich. ^[i]

“The first thing many people may notice is worsening or persistent back pain,” said Dr. Craig Cole, a hematologist-oncologist. “Fatigue and anemia can also be indicators, since the disease affects the bone marrow where blood cells are made.” ^[i]

Dr. Craig Cole (Photo Courtesy: GSK)

Anemia means your body is producing fewer healthy red blood cells than it needs, which can leave you feeling unusually tired, weak, or short of breath.

These are not all the signs and symptoms of multiple myeloma. Other signs and symptoms of multiple myeloma may include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, mental fogginess or confusion, frequent infections, and unexplained weight loss. 

Dr. Cole explains that screening is straightforward and worthwhile. A few simple blood tests can help doctors rule out multiple myeloma in many cases. ^[i]

Dr. Cole also stresses the importance of working with a specialist. “Multiple myeloma care is complex, so it’s vital for patients to see a specialist or get a second opinion if they can,” he explains. “That partnership can help patients better understand their options, especially in communities where awareness of myeloma hasn’t always been strong.”

When Multiple Myeloma Comes Back 

Dr. Cole explains that multiple myeloma often responds to treatment, but it’s important to keep an eye on it because the cancer can return months, years, or even decades later. 

“When a patient’s cancer comes back after treatment, we call that a relapse,” Dr. Cole says. “When the cancer stops responding to a therapy that was working before, that’s what we call refractory disease.” 

Those situations can change treatment plans, and doctors may explore different approaches together with their patients to help keep the cancer in check.

“The most important thing is that patients and caregivers understand this is a chronic condition for many people, and close follow-up to monitor how the disease may progress during or after initial treatment is key,” Dr. Cole says.

Photo Courtesy: Adobe Stock (Not an actual patient or healthcare provider)

Exploring a Treatment Option for Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Dr. Cole notes that there are treatments that give patients and their care teams options when the disease returns again or stops responding to therapy.

One of those options is BLENREP (belantamab mafodotin-blmf) for injection 70 mg, a prescription medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in combination with the medicines bortezomib and dexamethasone to treat adults with multiple myeloma who have received at least 2 prior treatments, including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent, and their cancer has come back or did not respond to prior treatment.

It is not known if BLENREP is safe and effective in children. ^[iii]

“For some patients, options like BLENREP offer another opportunity to continue fighting this disease together with their doctors,” Dr. Cole says. Talk to your doctor about whether BLENREP may be right for you.

It’s important to understand the potential risks of BLENREP.

BLENREP can cause serious side effects, including eye problems. These eye problems are common and can sometimes be severe, leading to vision changes or even vision loss. Changes can occur on the surface of the eye (cornea) and may cause symptoms such as: Blurred or decreased vision, dry eyes, sensitivity to light, eye irritation or pain, or feeling like something is in your eyes. Ulcers on the surface of the eye (corneal ulcers), including with infection, may also happen during treatment with BLENREP. These are not all of the possible side effects of BLENREP.

Eye exams are required before starting treatment, before each dose, and as needed if new or worsening eye problems occur. It’s important that you keep all of your eye care appointments because some changes can happen without symptoms and may only be seen on an eye exam. Use preservative-free artificial tears at least four times per day during treatment and avoid contact lenses unless directed by your eye specialist. Use caution when driving or operating machinery because BLENREP may cause changes to your vision.

Because of the risk of eye problems, BLENREP is available only through a restricted program called the BLENREP Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). Your healthcare provider will give you the BLENREP REMS Patient Guide, which describes the risk of eye problems, and will explain the REMS program to you. To receive BLENREP, you must enroll in the REMS program and receive eye exams during treatment.

Please see Important Safety Information below and the full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide, for more details. 

Dr. Cole notes that BLENREP may be administered in REMS-certified local clinics, allowing eligible patients the potential to receive care in their own communities. “As long as a patient has an eye doctor nearby for monitoring, monitoring of a patient’s vision can happen close to home,” he says. 

Hearing about treatment options like BLENREP gives Rich optimism for what’s ahead in multiple myeloma care when a patient relapses again or does not respond to treatment. “When I was diagnosed, there were not as many treatment options available for multiple myeloma,” he says. “Now, I tell people that there are options, and that talking to your doctor and aligning on the right care team can make a difference.”

Visit BLENREP.com to learn more.  

Rich and Dr. Cole have been compensated by GSK for their participation in this article. Rich is a patient with multiple myeloma, and individual experiences may vary. Dr. Cole is a board-certified hematologist.

APPROVED USE

BLENREP is a prescription medicine used in combination with the medicines bortezomib and dexamethasone to treat adults with multiple myeloma who have received at least 2 prior treatments, including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent, and their cancer has come back or did not respond to prior treatment.

It is not known if BLENREP is safe and effective in children.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION 

What is the most important information I should know about BLENREP? 

BLENREP can cause serious side effects, including: 

• Eye problems. Eye problems are common with BLENREP and can also be severe. BLENREP can cause changes to the surface of your eye, which can lead to symptoms of eye problems, including: 
• decreased vision 
• blurred vision 
• dry eyes 
• sensitivity to light 
• feeling like something is in your eyes 
• eye irritation 
• eye pain 

Ulcers on the surface of the eye (corneal ulcers), including with infection, may also happen during treatment with BLENREP.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you notice any new or worsening eye symptoms or vision changes during treatment with BLENREP.

Your healthcare provider will refer you to an eye care specialist (such as an ophthalmologist or optometrist) to check your eyes before you start treatment, before you receive each dose of BLENREP, and as needed for any new or worsening eye problems. It is important that you:

• Keep all of your eye care appointments because some changes can happen without symptoms and may only be seen on an eye exam
• Use preservative-free artificial tears at least 4 times per day starting with your first infusion and continuing until the end of treatment with BLENREP
• Avoid wearing contact lenses during treatment with BLENREP unless directed by your eye care specialist
• Use caution when driving or operating machinery because BLENREP may cause changes to your vision

Because of the risk of eye problems, BLENREP is available only through a restricted program called the BLENREP Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). Your healthcare provider will give you the BLENREP REMS Patient Guide, which describes the risk of eye problems, and will explain the REMS program to you. To receive BLENREP, you must enroll in the REMS program and receive eye exams during treatment. See “What are the possible side effects of BLENREP?” for more information about side effects.

What are the possible side effects of BLENREP?

BLENREP can cause serious side effects, including: 

• See “Eye Problems” in “What is the most important information I should know about BLENREP?”
• Decrease in platelets (thrombocytopenia) is common with BLENREP and can also be severe. Platelets are a type of blood cell that help your blood to clot. Your healthcare provider will check your blood cell counts before you start treatment with BLENREP and during treatment as needed. Tell your healthcare provider if you get any bleeding or bruising during treatment with BLENREP

The most common side effects of BLENREP when given with bortezomib and dexamethasone include:

• See “Eye problems” in “What is the most important information I should know about BLENREP?” 
• upper respiratory tract infection
• liver problems
• diarrhea
• tiredness
• pneumonia
• cataract
• COVID-19

The most common severe abnormal blood test results during treatment with BLENREP include decreases in platelets, white blood cells, and hemoglobin, and increases in certain liver enzymes.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get new or worsening unexplained signs or symptoms of lung problems, including shortness of breath, chest pain, or cough.

Your healthcare provider may decrease your dose, temporarily stop, or completely stop treatment with BLENREP if you get serious side effects.

BLENREP may affect fertility in males and females, which may affect your ability to have children. Talk to your healthcare provider if this is a concern for you. 

These are not all of the possible side effects of BLENREP.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. 

Before receiving BLENREP, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: 

• have or had vision or eye problems 
• have or had bleeding problems 
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. BLENREP can harm your unborn baby 

• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if BLENREP passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment with BLENREP and for 3 months after the last dose  

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. 

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. 

Visit http://www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report negative side effects to GSK at gsk.public.reportum.com or 1-888-825-5249. 

Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide for patients.

To learn more about this treatment option, visit BLENREP.com. 

Intended for US audiences only.

Trademarks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies.

©2026 GSK or licensor. 
PMUS-BLMCOCO250001 February 2026 
Produced in USA. 

References 

^[i] American Cancer Society. About Multiple Myeloma. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/multiple-myeloma. Accessed February 10, 2026.
^[ii] American Society of Hematology / Blood publications on racial disparities in multiple myeloma. https://ashpublications.org/bloodglobal/article/1/2/100017/546082/Racial-disparities-in-multiple-myeloma. Accessed February 10, 2026.
^[iii] BLENREP. Prescribing Information. GSK; 2025.