The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (TheMMRF.org) was established as a nonprofit organization in 1998 by twin sisters Karen Andrews and Kathy Giusti, soon after Kathy’s diagnosis with multiple myeloma, the second most common blood cancer after non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Multiple myeloma represents about 1 percent of all cancers among white Americans and 2 percent of those among African-Americans; more than 22,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. this year. The MMRF pursues innovative research to speed the development of next-generation treatments to extend the lives of multiple myeloma patients and eventually lead to a cure. As the world’s largest private funder of multiple myeloma research, the MMRF has raised over $225 million since its inception, 90 percent of which has been spent on research.
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