Saad Usmani, MD

• Multiple Myeloma

I am a hematologic oncologist specializing in the care of patients with multiple myeloma and other disorders affecting plasma cells (the cells that produce the antibodies that protect us against infection). I treat patients who have received a diagnosis of multiple myeloma or a diagnosis of another plasma cell disorder, such as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), smoldering myeloma, or amyloidosis. Many of the patients I see have a disease that has been deemed hard to treat or high risk. A blood cancer diagnosis dramatically changes the trajectory of a patient’s life. I am acutely aware of the impact that I have on a patient’s cancer treatment journey and am passionate about having the opportunity to make a difference in my patients’ lives. Throughout my 14-plus years of caring for patients with multiple myeloma and plasma cell disorders, my patients and their family members have always been the most important people in the room for me. It is my responsibility to educate my patients with relevant information about their disease, alleviate their concerns at each stage in the process, and develop a treatment plan that best befits their individual needs. This is not a responsibility that I take lightly. I am committed to making each of my patients feel comforted in the expertise of their care team and empowered by the information provided to them. Recent advances in immunotherapy (a type of cancer treatment that uses a patient’s immune system to attack cancer cells in much the same way that it attacks bacteria or viruses) and small molecule therapy are helping to change the outlook for patients with multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders. I am excited by the prospect of developing new therapeutic strategies for the treatment and management of these diseases and have been involved with the clinical development of several therapies approved by the FDA for patients with multiple myeloma and other blood cancers. In addition to novel therapies, my research also centers on the use of minimal residual disease (MRD) testing to guide treatment decisions, developing new approaches for patients with high-risk disease, and establishing methods to recognize patients whose disease will progress from an early precursor disease that does not require treatment to an active disease that does. Outside of the clinic and the lab, I can likely be found training for a race or an endurance event to raise moneys for cancer research. My most memorable fundraisers so far have been the Mount Everest Base Camp trek in 2018, the Boston Marathon in 2019, and the recently completed 2021 New York City Marathon.