Multiple Myeloma: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma, also called Kahler's disease, is a blood cancer. There is no cure, but treatment can slow its spread and sometimes even make symptoms disappear.

A type of white blood cells called plasma cells produce antibodies that fight infections in the body. When you have multiple myeloma, these cells will multiply in the wrong way. They allow too much protein (called immunoglobulin) to enter the bones and blood.

Plasma Cell Carcinoma

Plasma cells are a type of white blood cell in the bone marrow. In this case, a group of plasma cells will become cancerous and multiply. The disease can damage bones, the immune system, kidneys and the number of red blood cells.

Symptoms may not be present or specific, such as loss of appetite, bone pain and fever.

Treatments include drugs, chemotherapy, corticosteroids, radiation or stem cell transplantation.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms in white blood cells called plasma cells. Plasma cells help you fight infections by making antibodies that recognize and attack bacteria. Multiple myeloma causes cancer cells to accumulate in the bone marrow and crowd out healthy blood cells.

Symptoms: fatigue; fracture; bone pain ...

Plasma Cell Disease

Multiple myeloma is one of many diseases that can cause plasma cell problems. Others include:

• Monoclonal gammopathy. This is when your plasma cells make too many copies of an antibody. Multiple myeloma is a form of this disease. Another form, monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance, may make you more likely to develop multiple myeloma.
• Solitary plasmacytoma. This is like multiple myeloma, but it causes a single abnormal plasma cell growth, not many of them. It can occur inside or outside the bone. It may also increase the risk of multiple myeloma.
• Light chain amyloidosis. This can cause abnormal plasma cells in your bone marrow, but they are fewer than multiple myeloma.
• Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. This is a type of monoclonal gamma disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system). The cancer cells have the characteristics of plasma cells and lymphoid tissues.

Etiology and risk factors of multiple myeloma

Experts are not sure what causes multiple myeloma. However, you are more likely to obtain it if:

• You are over 65 years old
• You are a male
• You are african american
• You have family
• You are overweight or obese
• You are radiated
• You have been exposed to chemicals used in rubber manufacturing, wood processing or fire fighting; or in herbicides

Symptoms of Multiple Myeloma

Early on, you may not notice any symptoms. But as time goes by, you may:

• Bone pain
• Weakness and fatigue
• Weight loss and loss of appetite
• Upset stomach
• constipation
• confusion
• Frequently infected
• thirst
• Weak or numb arms and legs

Diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma

If you perform other blood tests, your doctor may suspect multiple myeloma and display:

• Excessive calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia)
• Too few red blood cells (anemia)
• Kidney problems
• The total protein level in the blood is high, but a level called albumin is low (your doctor may say you have a "globulin gap")

Multiple Myeloma Complications

Multiple myeloma can cause the following problems:

• Bone problems. Your bones will weaken and cause fractures.
• Blood problems. You may have anemia, which means your body does not have enough red blood cells. This can make you tired, pale, and cause heart disease. You may have too few platelets, which makes your blood more difficult to clot.
• Infection. When you have myeloma, your body produces many weak antibodies, which will reject healthy antibodies, making it more difficult for you to fight infection. Lack of white blood cells also weakens your immune system.
• Kidney damage. Myeloma can block the kidneys and prevent them from filtering the way they should. This may cause kidney failure.

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