What is myeloma?

multiple myeloma is a rare and incurable disease of the bone marrow and accounts for approximately one percent of cancers bone marrow is the spongy tissue found deep inside your bones here stem cells are made and differentiate into cells of the blood and immune system one type of cell of the immune system is the plasma cell plasma cells usually produce antibodies that are proteins our body uses to fight infections in myeloma abnormal plasma cells divide uncontrollably and begin to produce abnormal antibodies these abnormal antibodies are called paraproteins as myeloma is primarily a disease within the bones many symptoms are related to the bone and bone marrow these are known as crab symptoms and are defined as high calcium meaning patients experience bone breakdown causing high calcium levels in the blood renal failure also known as kidney failure anemia also known as low red blood cells and bone lesions and pain commonly in the rib cage shoulders pelvis and hips the treatment landscape of myeloma is very complex and can include treatment with three or four drugs at a time such as chemotherapy or immunotherapy patients who are eligible may also receive a stem cell transplant to treat their myeloma myeloma is a relapsing and remitting disease meaning patients will start treatment and may enter into a period of remission remission means there is improvement or temporary disappearance of a patient's myeloma during this phase of remission some patients will receive either single drug maintenance treatment or undergo observation then after some time patients generally will need to restart a combination treatment as their myeloma symptoms worsen this phase is called relapse the phases of remission and relapse continue until eventually the patient's myeloma no longer responds to treatment this is called refractory myeloma survival rates of myeloma patients have significantly improved over the last decade with the development of new and emerging treatments patients can now live between 4 and 15 years after diagnosis depending on the characteristics of their disease their age and their overall health for more information check out the myeloma patients europe website

Channel: Myeloma Patients Europe

Views: 15,301

Keywords: myeloma, blood cancer, patient information, patient advocacy, treatments

Id: pzkzDtw6G7c

Length: 2min 41sec (161 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 12 2022