Plasma cells help the body's immune system fight disease by producing substances called antibodies. In multiple myeloma, plasma cells grow out of control and form tumors in the bone marrow.
The excess growth of plasma cells interferes with the body's ability to make red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. This causes anemia, which makes a person more likely to get infections and have abnormal bleeding.
As the cancer cells grow in the bone marrow, they can cause pain and destruction of the bones. If the bones in the spine are affected, it can put pressure on the nerves, resulting in numbness or paralysis.
Multiple myeloma mainly affects older adults. A history of radiation therapy raises your risk for this type of cancer.
Symptoms
Bleeding problems
Bone or back pain
Increased susceptibility to infection
Symptoms of anemia (such as tiredness, shortness of breath, and fatigue)
Bone x-rays show fractures or hollowed out areas of bone. If your doctor suspects this type of cancer, a bone marrow biopsy will be performed.
Treatment
The goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms.
People who have mild disease or a questionable diagnosis are usually carefully monitored without treatment. Some people have a slow-developing form of multiple myeloma that takes years to cause symptoms.
Multiple Myeloma(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Multiple myeloma is a cancer in which antibody-producing plasma cells grow in an uncontrolled and invasive(malignant) manner.Multiple myeloma, also known as plasma cell myeloma, is the second-most common cancer of the blood. It is the most common ...
Osteosarcoma (4 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Osteosarcoma is a cancerous(malignant) bone tumor that usually develops during the period of rapid growth that occurs in adolescence, as a teenager matures into an adult.Osteosarcoma is the most common cancerous(malignant) bone tumor in youth. The...Reviewer: Stephen Grund, MD, PhD, Chief of Hematology/Oncology and Director of the George Bray Cancer Center at New Britain General Hospital, New Britain, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed byDavid Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/24/2008
Multiple Myeloma(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Multiple myeloma is a cancer in which antibodyproducing plasma cells grow in an uncontrolled and invasive(malignant) manner.Multiple myeloma, also known as plasma cell myeloma, is the second-most common cancer of the blood. It is the most common t...
Osteosarcoma(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Osteosarcoma is the most common type of cancer that originates in bone.(Most bone cancer develops from cancerous cells that have migrated from a tumor in another organ referred to as the primary site).
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