Christian Singer Carman, 65, Asks for Prayers as He Battles Pneumonia, Along With the Multiple Myeloma He Was Diagnosed with in 2013

On Carman’s Facebook page, an update was provided for his fans, saying: “UPDATE: We are waiting on test results but Carman is stable. He needs your prayers. We are praying for a quick recovery from the pneumonia. We appreciate your love and support.”

Carman also shared that his father and grandparents died at the same age he is now 65. “My father died at my age and my grandparents. So that’s been playing on my mind. But we’ve been here before and I need your help and prayers. I’m going to be here for a while so Please share this with your prayer warrior friends. Thank you once again for your faithfulness. I say it often from the stage, I don’t have fans I have intercessors and I have no doubt you keep me alive.”

Understanding Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells; these cells are a kind of white blood cell found in the bone marrow. Myeloma can damage the immune system, bones, kidneys, and red blood cell count. This kind of cancer interferes with the bone’s natural ability to self-repair. About six in ten people with this disease get a broken bone because of it. Treatments for this type of cancer may include chemotherapy, corticosteroids, radiation, and stem-cell transplant.

Related: Multiple Myeloma & Bone Health: What You Need to Know

News anchor and TV journalist, Tom Brokaw, 80, is a multiple myeloma survivor. Brokaw gives some straight-forward advice to those battling myeloma and other diseases; he encourages people to go with the best doctor. Brokaw said in an earlier interview with SurvivorNet, “I think that we have to change the mindset of a lot of patients and get tough, frankly, about changing that mindset. I know you love your doctor. I know you think he’s a great guy or she’s a great person. The fact is, unless they’ve got the skill set, they can be a bastard, but if they’re good at what they’re doing, go to them. That’s what you have to learn to do. You have to learn to go make a tough decision about something.”

Anchorman Tom Brokaw Advises Other Cancer Patients: You Don't Have to Like Your Doctor, Just Get To The Best One

Racial Disparities in Myeloma

While Carman is white, there are notable racial disparities when it comes to myeloma. In a previous interview with SurvivorNet Dr. Adrienne Phillips, a Medical Oncologist at Weill Cornell said, “There are a variety of different blood cancers. On the most basic level, it can be divided into leukemias and lymphomas. Also, multiple myeloma is a common blood cancer, and overall these blood cancers tend to be less common among African-American populations.”

Related: Black Americans Need to Prioritize Cancer Screenings, Says Leading Radiation Oncologist

However, multiple myeloma is different, she said. “But, distinctly, multiple myeloma is the one blood cancer that’s seen two times as high a rate in African-Americans compared to other ethnicities. And then certain types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas as well, including T-cell lymphomas, may be more common among African-American populations. We’re not exactly sure why these cancers may be more common among African-Americans. It’s probably multifactorial and a combination of genetic risks and environmental exposures.”

Racial Disparities in Mulitple Myeloma

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