Clinicians don’t often talk about cancer being “cured,” but for some patients with multiple myeloma (MM), that’s beginning to change.

People living with this rare blood cancer are now surviving for 10 years or longer—a dramatic shift from just a few decades ago, when the outlook was two to three years. That progress is being driven by advances in immunotherapy, including CAR T-cell therapy and bispecific antibodies, said Anita D’Souza, MD, Professor of Medicine

As survival improves, Dr. D’Souza and her colleagues are expanding the focus, addressing not just how long patients live, but also how well they live. And with that shift, even the language is changing.

“We are reaching a point where some of our patients might truly be cured of their cancer,” Dr. D’Souza said. “That is a term we have never used in multiple myeloma thus far, but that is changing now.”

Combining Patient Care and Research

Clinical trials are a central part of Dr. D’Souza’s work in hematology and medical oncology. Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Network is home to one of the largest referral programs for myeloma in Wisconsin and nationally, creating opportunities to bring emerging therapies to patients earlier. MM has become a priority cancer for the Cancer Center, in part because of its disproportionate impact, Dr. D’Souza explained. African Americans are diagnosed at twice the rate of other populations, a disparity that underscores the need for both access to care and continued innovation.

However, treatment is only one element of the equation. For Dr. D’Souza, survivorship research has become “a natural next step” in her career. She is currently a co-principal investigator on Moving Forward with Multiple Myeloma, a 16-week interventional study evaluating whether improvements in diet and exercise lead to improved physical function, quality of life, and blood biomarkers of aging.

The idea came directly from patients themselves, Dr. D’Souza said. They had a lot of concerns about lifestyle choices: How much should I exercise? What types of foods should I eat or avoid? Those gaps revealed an opportunity to rethink how survivorship is supported.

“We realized that we don’t do a good job in the clinic of having these discussions, because we are focused on treatments, side effects, and toxicities,” Dr. D’Souza said. “I’m very lucky to work here, where I have access to experts in these different spaces and can collaborate on this kind of research.”

Lighting the Path Forward

Dr. D’Souza vividly remembers when she was first exposed to pathology as a second-year medical student in Goa, India. She became fascinated by blood cells—how they develop, how they change, and how those changes can lead to cancer.

“Ever since that time, I’ve wanted to be a hematologist,” she said.

Her training brought her to the U.S., where she deepened her expertise in immunology and immunotherapy while pursuing research opportunities across institutions. Along the way, mentorship played a defining role in her own career and is something she now pays forward. She loves seeing her mentees succeed—if one of them receives an award or a grant, it makes her whole week.

“Seeing that light go on in their eyes, watching them get excited about research, reminds me why I do this,” Dr. D’Souza said. “As a mentor, my job is to show them what’s possible as a researcher and to be there for them as they accomplish it.”

For James Wu, MD, an MCW Hematology and Oncology Fellow, Dr. D’Souza’s mentorship made an immediate impact. During their first meeting, she encouraged him to apply for an American Society of Hematology (ASH) Award. He ended up winning the award in 2023—a career development prize he didn’t believe he would be in the running for.

Dr. Wu is incredibly grateful that Dr. D’Souza saw potential in him; she held him to a high standard while staying patient and giving him opportunities to grow.

“That combination of high expectations and grace is what builds both skill and confidence," said Dr. Wu.

She also gave him the space to explore his broad interests and keep an open mind about his career. “It was this guidance that allowed me to consider, and ultimately pursue, a transition from malignant hematology to solid tumors which I now love.”

The momentum Dr. D’Souza has built continues to carry forward in the people she trains, including Dr. Wu, who now hopes to extend that same approach to the next generation of physician-scientists.

Learn more about Dr. D’Souza’s research.