When cells in our body develop mutations in their DNA that allow them to grow beyond the normal need of our body, we call that cancer. Myeloma is a type of cancer that arises in plasma cells, which are white blood cells that create antibodies to fight infections.
Normal plasma cells make antibodies, and we need many different plasma cells making many different antibodies to be healthy. When one plasma cell mutates and copies itself repeatedly as a myeloma plasma cell, the other normal plasma cells are suppressed, contributing to suppression of your immune system and increasing the risk of infection.
The myeloma plasma cells make high amounts of only one antibody molecule, which can build up in the blood and clog the kidneys, contributing to kidney damage. The myeloma plasma cells can also make another type of protein that tells cells that eat our bones to become more active, causing bone weakness and fractures, leading to pain and high blood calcium levels.
Myeloma plasma cells can also hinder the production of other cells in the bone marrow (where your body makes all the cells in your blood and immune system), like other white and red blood cells, leading to anemia and causing greater suppression of your immune system.
The term “multiple myeloma” was coined more than 150 years ago when doctors only knew that the patients had multiple tumors (oma) of bone marrow cells (myelos, Greek for marrow). This was long before we learned that abnormal plasma cells caused this type of cancer.
Risk Factors
You may be more likely to develop myeloma if you:
- Work in a petroleum-related industry
- Have been exposed to radiation
- Have obesity
- Are African American
- Have parents who had myeloma
- Have Gaucher’s disease, which affects the body’s ability to break down fat
- Are 50 years or older
- Are male
Symptoms
Symptoms and signs of myeloma may include:
- Weight loss
- High amounts of protein in urine or blood, which can be found through lab work
- Anemia (low amount of or reduced function of red blood cells), which can be found through lab work
- Hypercalcemia (too much calcium in the blood from bone breakdown), which can be found through lab work
- Bone fractures, swelling or pain
- Osteoporosis, which is weakness of the bones
- Frequent infections
- Fatigue
- Kidney failure
I Have Myeloma. What Are Treatment Options?
Fortunately, many treatment options exist for myeloma. Treatment can slow myeloma cell growth and ease symptoms. Some treatments can suppress the myeloma plasma cells, including:
- Chemotherapy, including high-dose chemotherapy requiring stem cell transplant support
- Radiation therapy
- Immune therapies
Patients with myeloma can also benefit from medications that strengthen bones. Additionally, there are clinical trials consisting of newer therapies.
It is important to discuss treatment options with your oncologist or hematologist to determine the best options for you.
At UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center, our Blood Cancers, Cellular Therapeutics and Transplant (BCT) Program offers multidisciplinary expertise, convenient care and support services. We maintain a 16-bed specialty care unit at UofL Health – UofL Hospital, which is rated high performing in leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma by U.S. News and World Report. Our program is also known for the unique care we are able to offer including the newest cellular therapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy.
To learn more or schedule an appointment with the BCT Program, call 502-562-HOPE (4673).
