Is MRD Negativity the Goal of Myeloma Treatment?

Malin Hultcrantz, MD, PhD, is a board-certified hematologist who specializes in the treatment of multiple myeloma and related plasma cell disorders including the precursor disorders monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering multiple myeloma at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She is focused on further optimizing treatment strategies for people with multiple myeloma, and offers a variety of modern treatments including clinic trials and novel immunotherapies. She is also working on measures to continue to improve patients’ quality of life while receiving treatment for multiple myeloma. Additionally, she has a particular interest in studying mechanisms and markers of progression from precursor disease to multiple myeloma. As part of this effort, she is working with her colleagues to develop targeted genomic tests for disease characterization and measurement of minimal residual disease. Better understanding of disease biology allows for better risk stratification and personalized treatment including early treatment for patients with high-risk precursor disease. In 2015, Dr. Hultcrantz received the Research Fellow Award, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and the International Postdoc Award, Swedish Research Council. Dr. Hultcrantz is fluent in Swedish and English.

Cynthia is a newborn ICU nurse by trade that has spent the last six years in the medical device industry educating nurses and doctors about devices that are new to their facility. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, traveling the world with her family, and creating Halloween animatronics for her annual front yard display. She has a passion for life-long learning and enjoys sharing what she learns with the people around her.