Sometimes the effects of treatment continue long after therapy ends.
For people who undergo a stem cell transplant or CAR T-cell therapy, recovery often includes rebuilding strength, monitoring long-term health, and managing changes that can emerge months or even years later. One of the areas that can be affected — but is often overlooked — is bone health.
In this episode of Thrive!, we take a closer look at bone health after transplant and cellular therapy. Guided by Dr. Angeliki Stamatouli, an endocrinologist at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Massey Cancer Center, this Deep Dive explores why bone loss can occur after treatment, who may be most at risk, and how bone health can be monitored, protected, and treated as part of survivorship care.
You’ll hear why factors such as chemotherapy, steroid use, hormonal changes, and reduced physical activity can affect bone strength, how conditions like osteoporosis develop, and what patients and care partners can do to help support long-term bone health through monitoring, lifestyle adjustments, and treatment options.
In this week’s news update, we highlight several developments shaping cancer care and survivorship: new research offering hope for people living with multiple myeloma through combination immunotherapy, growing insights into what rising cancer survival rates mean for long-term follow-up care and quality of life, and the increasing demands placed on older spouses who often serve as primary caregivers during recovery. We also highlight a resource that may help: BMT InfoNet’s Directory of Mental Health Providers, designed to help patients, survivors, and care partners find emotional and psychological support after treatment.
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CHAPTER MARKERS
00:01 Welcome!
00:51 Updates – News Introduction
01:06 Updates – New Hope for Multiple Myeloma Patients
03:01 Updates – What Longer Cancer Survival Means
05:05 Updates – The Growing Burden on Older Care Partners
07:16 A Quick Note
08:37 Something That May Help – Mental Health Directory
10:06 Deep Dive – Cold Open
11:10 Deep Dive – Bone Health After Treatment
12:30 Deep Dive – Why Bone Health Matters
13:32 Deep Dive – Understanding Osteoporosis
14:34 Deep Dive – Risk Factors for Bone Loss
15:49 Deep Dive – Monitoring Bone Health
17:44 Deep Dive – Building Stronger Bones Through Lifestyle and Nutrition
19:51 Deep Dive – Treatment Options
21:03 Deep Dive – Takeaways
22:43 One Last Thought
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RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Deep Dive Presentation
Dr. Angeliki Stamatouli – Bone Health and Other Endocrine Issues After Transplant or CAR T-Cell Therapy
https://bmtinfonet.org/video/bone-health-and-other-endocrine-issues-after-transplant-or-car-t-cell-therapy
News Articles Mentioned
Washington Post – New Hope for Multiple Myeloma Patients
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/01/15/cancer-drug-multiple-myeloma-immunotherapy
Washington Post – What Longer Cancer Survival Means
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/01/13/cancer-survival-treatment-screening-research
Washington Post – The Growing Demands on Older Care Partners
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/01/10/senior-caregivers-spouse/
Something That May Help
BMT InfoNet – Directory of Mental Health Providers
https://bmtinfonet.org/mh-directory
Join the BMT InfoNet Email List
https://bmtinfonet.org/form/join-news
Join the BMT InfoNet Facebook Community
https://www.facebook.com/bonemarrowstemcelltransplantclub
Email us
thrive@bmtinfonet.org
Links were active at the time of publication.
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