Charlotte cancer survivor pushes men to take control of health

TONY NEWBERNE

Tony Newberne, a Charlotte-based personal trainer, is a survivor of multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer.

Life can come at you fast. That’s why taking control of your health is crucial.

Tony Newberne, a Charlotte-based personal trainer, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer, at 39 years old. By the time of diagnosis, he’d gone eight years of unexplained symptoms. 

“I had never heard of multiple myeloma before,” Newberne said. “I had no idea what it was, and at that time I was a personal trainer. I was living an active lifestyle, helping others improve their health and planning for the future. What I didn’t realize is that my body had been giving me warning signals for years. That is kind of how my journey began.”

What is multiple myeloma?

The cancer develops in plasma cells of the bone marrow, where it multiplies rapidly and uncontrollably. They crowd out healthy blood cells that our bodies use to make antibodies. It ultimately leads to weakened bones, kidney damage and weakened immune system. 

For Newberne, it came out of nowhere.

“I saw my primary care doctor regularly,” he said. “I did my labs and everything, but my physicals didn’t pick up the multiple myeloma. Even way back in 2005 when I first noticed these blood spots under my tongue, that was my body giving me a warning sign. I went to the emergency room… and basically, I found out I had low platelets. … I was what they call smoldering throughout the whole process before I was officially diagnosed.”

CAR-T to the rescue 

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy, or CAR-T, is a groundbreaking personalized immunotherapy that can genetically reprogram white blood cells to target and destroy cancerous cells. It is most frequently used for patients with relapsed refractory blood cancers such as leukemias, lymphomas and like in Newberne’s case, multiple myeloma.

“There's a lot of layers to CAR-T,” Newberne said. “CAR-T therapy, in my experience as a multiple myeloma patient, after years of multiple myeloma and more than a decade of going through several lines of treatment, I experienced cerebral blasphemy. At that point, my healthcare team and I discussed CAR-T therapy as a treatment option, and the process required preparation, patience, and close monitoring, but it also gave me another opportunity when I needed it. After nearly 12 years of continuous chemotherapy, I am grateful for the opportunity to be off treatment now.” 

Newberne said his experiences are why he advocates for people to stand up for their own health. 

“I want other patients to have the opportunity to discuss all available treatment options with their healthcare teams,” he said. “Today, I remain grateful for the care I receive, and for the opportunity to have had access to this treatment. What CAR-T has done for me is provide hope and allow me to look toward the future with optimism.”

Speak up and be heard

Newberne was pronounced cancer free in September 2025, and it was a pivotal moment.

“After nearly 12 years of continuous chemotherapy, I am grateful to be off treatments,” he said. “Experiences like mine are why I advocate so passionately. I want other patients to have the opportunity to discuss all available treatment options with their healthcare teams. It is pretty remarkable to me what CAR-T did, but everyone’s experiences are different. That is why it is important to speak up and talk with your medical team to find out what works best for you individually and what will get you back to your best health.”

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