The multiple myeloma survival rate is deeply connected to the stage of development in which it is discovered and treated. Multiple myeloma is a form of cancer of the plasma cells, which develops when  white cells accumulate in the bone marrow and disrupt regular blood cell production.

Bone lesions are noticed when the blood cells gather up in the marrow. Due to the erratic behavior of white cells, multiple myeloma also generates, in most cases, paraprotein disorders, or paraproteinemia. This is due to the white cells secreting excess antibodies that are picked up as excess immunoglobulin. The disease is diagnosed via blood tests, bone marrow examinations and X-rays that reveal bone lesions.

Pain in the bones along the spine and ribs is a common symptom of myeloma, as the pain intensifies based on the individual’s activity level.

Pneumonias are a common form of infection, along with pyelonephritis (E.coli). Infection risk is at its highest after chemotherapy, as the immune system is impaired in its normal function of producing antibodies. Renal failure is a risk due to the increased breakdown and elimination of calcium in the body (hypercalcemia).

As last symptoms, we find anemia and several other neurological symptoms, such as confusion and fatigue (also caused by hypercalcemia).

The Treatment of the multiple myeloma needs to be carefully asserted. High-dose chemotherapy with stem-cell transplant is a preferred method of dealing with the disease, in the case of patients under the age of 65. The success of this treatment has done much to increase the multiple myeloma survival rate. The transplantation of stem cells from the patient after chemotherapy stages has not had a major effect on the multiple myeloma survival rate, but is proven to prolong the survival period.

The multiple myeloma survival rate among patients aged 65 and above is low. This is due to the incompatibility of such patients with stem cell transplants. At this age, a patient will most likely be in an advanced stage of the disease, with multiple concurring illnesses. Chemotherapy is also problematic at this age, as high dose chemotherapy may be counter-indicated due to the severity of some of the pre-existent medical conditions.

The recent usage of melphalan and prednisone has improved the chemotherapy process however, as well as the multiple myeloma survival rate among older patients.

As a recent study has shown, the new chemotherapy method has increased the multiple myeloma survival rate to 90% after two years from the treatment in patients over the age of 65.

Regular therapy is often required after the initial intervention, and studies have shown that thalidomide is effective in decreasing tumor weight and progression.  Due to the strong nature of the substances involved in chemotherapy, it is, unfortunately, not a rare event that patients experience a relapse. In such a case, initial treatments are resumed with increased dosages and/or stronger substances. The good news is that, pending each relapse and treatment, the progress of the disease is significantly decreased.

Treatment resistance, on the other hand, is an entirely different issue. To counteract this problem, multiple active substances have been developed over the years in order to re-sensitize the tumor to the original treatment.

Recent studies based on the new treatment methods and products have shown a much appreciated increase in survival rates of 25%. This may not seem like much, but it does help a patient survive until better treatments are developed, and they ARE being developed. Also, keep in mind that a 4.5 year survival period post treatment is now the actual median for the expected survival period. A timely detection ensures that the patient is young enough to take a full dose of chemotherapy to its full effect and have a small enough tumor to ensure a much longer survival period.

As treatments have progressed over the years, the survival estimate initially issued to a patient was no longer adequate, as he or she had become eligible for new treatment.

This is exactly why, particularly with patients under the age of 65, doctors are not inclined to issue estimations regarding chances of survival and length of survival. You need to keep in mind that it is often not the tumor itself that causes death, but the related secondary illnesses. This is why young persons have better chances and a higher multiple myeloma survival rate.

Lytic lesion is a term often encountered in the research on tumors. The term is not really all that common, since “lytic lesion” does not mean anything by itself. “Lytic” basically means a deformed result, while “lesion” indicates that it refers to a tear.

When referring to a tumor, a lytic lesion basically represents the normal or abnormal growths that have to be taken into consideration when trying to determine whether it is benign or malign. Various lesions can usually be detected on all organs and organelles, depending on age, medical record or induced trauma.

When a lesion cannot be explained solely on usual factors, a tumor is most likely present, causing the lytic lesion.

The destruction of an area of the bone caused by a disease is called a lytic lesion of the bone. Lesions appear on an X-ray scan, but their cause cannot be discerned based solely on the scan results alone. Factors like age and size are vital to determining the cause of the lesion and the treatment required.

Possible causes for lytic lesions:

• Primary bone cancer:  Here we find osteosarcoma to be the likely culprit. For younger patients who have lesions present on their arm or leg bones, we may find Erwing’s Sarcoma to be responsible. In the case of older individuals with lesions in multiple bones, the primary cause is usually Chondrosarcoma.
• Bone marrow cancer: Multiple myeloma is known to cause bone lesions. These lesions are considered symptoms of the disease and are accompanied by severe pains in the bones.
• Metastases to bone: Renal, prostate and breast cancer can cause metastases to the bone. In such a case, a lytic lesion is extensive and painful.
• Bone cyst: A benign source of lytic lesions, bone cysts are frequent in persons under the age of 30.
• Giant Cell tumors: Common to patients above the age of 20 and under 40, giant cell tumors are benign tumors that usually leave behind bone lesions.
• Fibrous dysplasia: A replacement of normal bone tissue with scar tissue, the fibrous dysplasia is a benign source of bone lesions.
• Osteomyelitis: A chronic bone infection that will cause lesions and present them under a radiological examination. This is a case where surgery is needed to remove the infection.

No matter if they are accompanied by pain or not, lesions are an early warning of a tumor. Even the benign causes need to be kept under observation, as they might develop into something worse along the way. Wear and tear on the bone and tissue is common with age. No bone or tissue structure remains as new throughout our entire lives. Pain, however, is never to be taken lightly.

When such a lesion is detected, the radiologist needs to differentiate between a pseudocyst and a symptom of tumor development. A pseudocyst is a region of low tension in the bone that seems deformed when compared to portions of the bone that are under more tension.

A comparison of the radiological exam with a different examination that was done a couple of years before is an easy method of differentiating between a pseudocyst and an actual tumor symptom. Since a pseudocyst will contain regular bone marrow, an MRI will determine whether it is harmless or malign.

Although the sources for lesions are different and not entirely abnormal, a radiological scan that picks up any lesions will likely warrant further investigation. A pseudocyst located in the humeral anteroposterior area of a young person is a common find. Also, a pseudocyst found in young patients is located in the anterior calcaneal bone. Other than these, an MRI will be most likely required in order to discern between multiple causes.

Though lesions naturally occur on most strained body parts, including bone structures, any pronounced forms of lesions on any area of the body is a cause for some concern. It is important to understand that such lesions are surely to be encountered during a radiological exam, thus it is important to perform such examinations regularly.

Also, a better diagnostic can be given based on prior examination and any growths can be monitored easily when the patient has a good medical examination history. It is also good to know that none of the primary causes for bone lesions will go away by themselves if one ignores the pain one might experience.  It is thus important to get expert help whenever in pain so that any abnormal lytic lesion will be discovered in time.

Plasmacytoma is considered to be the main reason for the development of myeloma conditions. Though a damaging disease on its own, an untreated condition will likely increase the danger of developing multiple myeloma tumors exponentially. Another “accessory” to this tumor can be paraproteinemia, which is an excess in the production and storage of a single monoclonal gamma globulin in the blood.

Plasmacytoma plays an important role in the development of monoclonal antibodies derived from artificial cells. Plasmacytoma is a tumor that can lend its multiplicative capabilities to several artificial antibodies. The first successful combining of plasmacytoma cells with an infusion of lymphocytes was achieved in 1975 by researchers Milstein and Kohler.

The experiment revolved around injecting a mouse with dinitrophenol 2.4 and fusing the resulting lymphocytes to cells from plasmacytoma. The resulting hybrid cell was producing an antibody to dinitrophenol 2.4 and was self replicating, just like the plasmacytomic cells were.

The development of monoclonal antibodies was a milestone in producing antibodies to counter various substances, with the virtual possibility to create antibodies to any substance. Among the benefits of this method, we number the possibility to gain an assertion to a wide array of chemical antibody inducements, as well a means to test for substances that were harder to detect in the bloodstream.

The most obvious result was the ability to detect antigens specific to certain types of viral infections and even antibodies specific to certain autoimmune diseases.

Plasmacytoma itself is a malignant tumor of the plasma cell, found in soft tissues or inside the bone structure. Such a tumor, when it exists in the skeleton, will most likely surround itself with various other forms of tumors and will often disseminate into multiple myeloma within a decade or so. It is usually diagnosed via serum protein electrophoresis and biopsy performed on the bone marrow. As a growth in the soft tissue, this tumor stands to affect tendons, fascia, fibrous tissues, fat, ligaments and synovial membranes. Due to the fact that the soft tissue is found around most of all major organs, any growth/abnormal behavior is likely to upset their functioning.

As to the treatment of such a tumor, the most frequently used method is local radiotherapy and this has been the most successful technique so far. More than 80% of the patients manage to have their tumor controlled locally and only 10% of them suffer any tumor reoccurrence.

The alternative is chemotherapy, reserved to patients that are unresponsive to regular radiotherapy. Also, in the case of neural impairment, surgery may become necessary to remove/reduce the tumor, though it is reserved as a last resort in the case of bone tumors.

Understanding plasmatic tumors is a matter of understanding cell biology. At a rate of millions per second, cells commit what we may call “suicide” in a human body. This functions as part of the normal replacement of cell structure. It also serves to keep a disease in check, as a cell that experiences mutation will automatically enter a process of self-destruction. If this does not happen, a diseased cell will multiply until it will reach a tumor phase. A benign malformation is harmless, but the growth of diseased cell could be cancerous. Studying the causes of cellular destruction is an important part in understanding the development of cancer.

Within the cell itself, a great deal of physical processes are observed throughout its lifespan. Cells follow a self-building architecture, called tensegrity, which protects them against mechanical tear caused by blood pressure, for example. Tensegrity evenly distributes any mounting pressure to the cytoskeleton and to other cellular components.

The key to understanding tumors is to consider them as abnormal body behavior or haywire cellular behavior. Unlike our common understanding of illnesses, the causes for tumors are embedded in our genetic code and are often the result of inadequate genetic adaptation to the exposure of modern day chemistry.

A tumor is not a dying piece of the patient, but rather a growing part. Such unusual behavior is a prime concern for geneticists, and treatments are being developed as we speak, to better understand and counteract it.

As a plasmatic tumor, plasmacytoma proves that tumors still hold various puzzles embedded in themselves.

Plasma cells are lymphocytes that produce high levels of antibodies. They originate in the bone marrow and they develop from B cells into plasma cells in lymph nodes. Pending departure from the bone marrow, B cells function as antigen-presenting cells. The antigen is processed by the B cell through endocytosis.

The gathered information transforms the B cell into a specialized plasma cell after it reaches a lymphatic node. As a development stage, a B cell turns into a plasma blast and further develops into a plasma cell. A plasma blast produces fewer antibodies but is capable of dividing rapidly and incorporating antigens. At this stage, it either continues to fuel T cells with information to stimulate other B cells, or it fully matures into a specialized plasmatic cell.

Plasma cells are no longer able to switch between antibody classes and continue to serve and produce high levels of antibodies in the time span of a few weeks to a few months. They are basically produced when an antigen is detected in high enough quantity to warrant the presence of high numbers of lymphocytes to actively correct it.

The actual life span of plasma cells is determined by the continued presence of the antigen they need to respond to. B cells need to encounter the specific antigen and deliver information to other B cells in order to keep the specific plasma flow needed to topple it. When B cells no longer encounter that antigen, they begin to specialize on other antigens, if present, and T cells no longer share the information to produce plasma cells to that specific antigen.

A separate process of stimulating B cells, without T cells functioning as an intermediary, results in short-lived cells that generate IgM antibodies. As a part of the responsive humoral immune system, plasma cells, although limited to a single antigen response, create an abundant flow of antibodies tweaked to their specific antigen.

In the case of multiple myeloma, plasma cells are the original cause, namely it is plasma cells that continue to produce excess antibodies when they are no longer needed by the lymphatic system. The excess antibodies are known as paraproteins, which lead to paraproteinemia. The counterpart of the excess of antibodies is the immunodeficiency that occurs when the plasma cells are not producing the required amounts of antibodies.

To sum it all up, lymphocytes are based on T cells and B cells. B cells serve to gather information on antigens, T cells attack any detected antigens, while requesting a special antibody producing function from the B cells. An antigen is virtually any substance that is foreign to the blood stream. Upon detection, antibodies are produced with a structure that fits the external structure of the antigen to neutralize it. The antibody is a protein, one of the millions present in our bloodstream, that is made to specifically counteract a certain antigen.

Thus, T cells are divided into killer T cells, that are capable to recognize and destroy a certain known pattern of antigens, and helper T cells determine the development and lifespan of the body’s antibody functions. Plasma cells depend on the latter to be directed and created.

The immune system is a complex part of our body, one that functions by rules similar to the wild nature outside, rather than the inner workings of the human body.

The immune system will likely produce high random specialized T cells to counteract antigens that may have never been present in the blood stream, while producing B cells only as a reactive method to an unknown antigen. It will produce auto tolerant proteins but kill or paralyze self-recognizing proteins in the embryonic stage.

The human body does not mind wastefulness and seems to have become aware of these cells’ purposes. Self recognizing antibodies inherited from the father and self recognizing antibodies inherited from the mother would be incompatible. We may think of the random, unneeded proteins produced by the body as wasteful, but the immune system sees them as an efficient method of first defense against antigens.

As plasma cells are proof of, the immune system has innate random responses, just as well as informed responses.

Bone Marrow Cancer – the bone marrow is by far one of the most important parts of the body. It is normally located somewhere inside the bones. It is soft and spongy in nature. Normally, the bone marrow is made up of stem cells, which are basically immature cells. The stem cells are the main source of blood cells since they normally develop into blood cells.

These include the white blood cells, which make up the body’s immune system; the red blood cells, which basically carry oxygen in the body and finally the platelets, which are clotting agents of the blood.

The bone marrow is on the other hand the main iron storage part of the body.

It is obvious that the body requires iron for it to produce the cells. Therefore, what better place to store iron other than the exact part where cell production takes place!

There are two types of bone marrow cancers; primary and secondary bone marrow cancer

Secondary bone cancer normally comes about as a result of cancer spreading from other affected areas of the region. This might be the lungs, breast or any other part of the body that may be cancerous. The name ‘secondary’ refers to the fact that this kind of cancer is normally as a result of another cancer in the body. As a matter of fact, research shows that if keenly assessed, this kind of cancer highly resembles the tissue of the original cancer. It is simply a bi-product of the original cancer.

Primary bone marrow cancer on the other hand is the kind of cancer that is caused by the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow. In layman’s language, it can be termed as the ‘original cancer of the bone marrow’. Primary bone marrow has been categorized in a variety of groups depending on the nature of the cancer. Multiple myeloma is one of the most common types of primary bone marrow cancer.

This is a kind of bone marrow cancer that specifically affects the plasma cells. Just like any other kind of cancer, the multiple myeloma cancer is characterized by abnormal multiplication of the plasma cells. The cells in the end get to grow at an abnormally high rate.

The main job of plasma cells is to produce antibodies that help the body fight diseases. In that case, the cancerous plasma cells tend to in turn affect the rate of antibody production in the body. They tend to be very many in number but abnormal. The high number of plasma cells gets deposited in the urine bringing about renal failure. On the other hand, the cell tumor affects the surrounding bone causing some sort of pain to the bone.

Leukemia is the second type of primary bone marrow cancer. It is somehow similar to multiple myeloma, the only difference being the fact that myeloma deals with plasma cells whereas leukemia deals with white blood cells. Actually, leukemia is divided into 4 different diseases.

These are; Chronic Myelogenous leukemia (CML), Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). AML and ALL are caused by myeloblast also commonly referred to as blast cells or lymphoblast. Normally, the term ‘acute’ in the medical world is used to describe a kind of condition that spreads rapidly. This is the same with AML and ALL. Opposite to this, chronic myelogenous leukemia is rather slow to spread and contains very little cells.

Lymphoma is another form of primary bone marrow cancer. Just as the name suggest, it specifically affects the lymphatic system. Despite this, it can also get generated from the bone marrow.

Bone Marrow Cancer Symptoms

When it comes to the symptoms, this might be a bit tricky for some as the symptoms differ between different people especially in the early stages of the disorder. However, the very common symptoms include loss of appetite, fever and weight loss. In other cases, these three might be accompanied by a feeling of fatigue.

When the cancer becomes more intense, the symptoms tend to intensify. Examples include formation of a hard lump in the region of the affected bone; some swelling might also be visible as well as some stiff tender feeling on the skin.

In very severe cases, a slight accident can easily lead to very intense fractures. Other general symptoms include weakness, frequent dizziness, poor body immunity and hardness of breath.

Bone Marrow Cancer Treatment

Treatment for bone marrow can vary depending on a number of factors. But the good news is that yes, it is curable!

Some hospitals use radio therapy while others prefer using chemotherapy. In other cases, people get to be operated on while others simply go through a bone marrow transport.

Treatment is never enough, there has to be some complementary services to help you get better. This includes nutritional therapy, naturopathic medicine and counseling in severe cases.

Cancer, which is medically referred to as malignant neoplasm, is basically a group of diseases that are commonly characterized by the uncontrollable growth of cells. These cells tend to multiply uncontrollably ending up forming malignant tumors that end up affecting the part of the body that is nearby. Cancer can affect any part of the body although there are the common kinds of cancer such as breast cancer.

Myeloma cancer is another form of cancer that is becoming common by the day with more people getting affected daily. In this case, the plasma cells are the affected party. These are the blood cells responsible for production of antibodies. These abnormal cells get to pile up in the bones hence forming abnormal tissue areas commonly known as bone lesions. The damage normally extends to the bone marrow which in turn gets to affect the regular production of other blood cells.

Myeloma cancer is commonly known for causing immunodeficiency. This is a state at which the immune system of the body is compromised such that its ability to fight diseases is brought down. This leaves one at a high risk of getting infected by various kinds of diseases. The main reason behind the immunodeficiency is the production of paraprotein which is quite common in the case of myeloma.

Paraprotein is by itself a kind of antibody. It normally interferes with the regular production of the normal antibodies hence lowering the immunity system of the body.  Paraprotein also brings about some kidney complications. On the other hand, myeloma also causes hypercalcemia which is basically the presence of very high levels of calcium in the body.

Myeloma cancer has a very wide variety of signs and symptoms. This is because the number of organs that can be affected by myeloma is quite high, meaning the symptoms get to vary. However, according to professionals in the medical fraternity, there are four main characteristics of myeloma cancer. They normally abbreviate these symptoms as C.R.A.B. The ‘C’ stands for ‘Calcium’. As earlier stated, mnemonics normally suffer from hypercalcemia.

Just as the name suggests, this is a kind of disorder in which the calcium levels of the blood get elevated. This refers to levels of calcium higher than 10.5 mg/dl or 2.6 mmol/L.  The ‘R’ stands for ‘renal failure’ which simply refers to kidney failure. This is basically a condition in which the kidney is not in a position to adequately perform its job which is filtering off any wastes from the blood. In this case, it can either be chronic or acute depending on the extent of the cancer.

The ‘A’ stands for ‘anemia’ which is also a disorder of the blood. It particularly refers to a decrease in the amount of hemoglobin present in the blood as well as the number of red blood cells available. Generally, the oxygen-binding ability of the blood tends to decrease as either the hemoglobin molecules get deformed or are not enough in number to harvest ample oxygen for the blood. Last but not least, the ‘B’ stands for ‘bone lesions’. This a condition in which the bone tissues get damaged. In severe cases of myeloma cancer, the bone marrow also gets affected.

These are just but the main symptoms of myeloma cancer. In actual sense, there are several other symptoms that characterize this kind of cancer though they are not as popular as the C.R.A.B symptoms. One of them is that mnemonics tend to feel some kind of sharp bone pains. In most cases, this affects the ribs and spine region.

The pains tend to worsen when one gets to perform some very strainous activity. In other cases, old age also gets to make the pain more frequent. Actually this condition is quite hazardous as it might end up leading to other even more fatal disorders. For example, once the vertebrae column gets affected a lot; it may lead to a condition commonly referred to as spinal cord compression.

As earlier stated, hypercalcemia might lead to other body disfunctions. Most of these disfunctions are used as neurological symptoms which include symptoms such as fatigue, confusion and general body weakness. Depending on the severity of paraprotein infection in the body, the body might suffer from hyperviscosity which in turn may cause visual problems and frequent headaches.

On the other hand, one may also end up suffering from certain infections, the most common ones being pyelonephritis and pneumonias. Infections are basically brought about by the presence of pathogens.

In this case, the E. coli pathogen is commonly responsible the pyelonephritis infection. S. aureus and S. pneumonia are just but a few of the pathogens responsible for the pneumonia infection.

These infections normally come about after a few months of chemotherapy. The reason behind this is the bare fact that the normal antibodies are now getting destroyed at a higher rate.

Cancer is the most feared disease in the world. Cancer is the growth of abnormal or malignant cell in a human body. These abnormal cells might develop in different parts of the body. In case of multiple myeloma, these abnormal cells accumulate on the bones and the bone marrow of the body. They cause bone lesions in the involved bones and disturb the production of normal blood cells in the bone marrow. Multiple Myeloma is the cancer of plasma cells.

Plasma cells are a kind of White Blood Cells and they produce antibodies, these antibodies help fight infections. A person who has multiple myeloma has a very high level of antibodies in his body which decreases Red Blood Cells or RBC count in his body.

Multiple myeloma may lead to renal failure due to the production of an abnormal antibody named paraprotein, this might also lead to deficiency of normal antibodies i.e. immunoglobulin. This deficiency weakens the immune system and makes the person vulnerable to infections. Increase in calcium levels in the body is often noticed.

Multiple myeloma affects bones, immune system, kidneys and RBC count. Multiple myeloma is believed to spread through the bloodstream. Its very hard to find a complete cure for multiple myeloma because it spreads to different parts of the body very fast and mutate the plasma cells wherever they spread.

This disease affects multiple organs of a human body which is why, the symptoms vary widely from person to person. These symptoms also depend on the stage of the cancer as well as the general state of health of the person.

There are however some identifying Multiple Myeloma symptoms :

-Severe bone pain, mostly in the ribs, spine and pelvis. Bone lesions in the vertebrae might lead to compression of the spinal cord. Bone lesions also lead to breakdown of bone sometimes; as a result calcium is released in the bloodstream and calcium level in the body increases considerably.

-Infections might happen due to immunodeficiency caused by the destruction of immunoglobulin and increased levels of paraprotein.

-Kidney problems or renal failure is also a symptom of multiple myeloma. There are many reasons for it and renal failure can be acute or chronic in nature. This might be caused by high calcium level in the body or due to the excretion of light chain. Recurring infection of the kidney may be noticed.

-Anemia is often noticed in a patient of multiple myeloma. Growth of abnormal cancerous cells in the bone marrow and the resulting decrease in the production of Red Blood Cells is the reason behind this anemia.

If there is a decrease in the Red Blood Cell and White blood Cell count and platelet production, then the person often experiences tiredness, lethargy, breathlessness and unusual bleeding.

Diagnosis of multiple myeloma is done by checking the paraprotein level and calcium level in the blood, and the RBC and WBC counts through a blood test. Urine test to detect kidney problems and the presence of light chains are done. The work up also includes skeletal survey through x-rays. X-rays are taken in order to find out if there is any bone damage in the body. Biopsy of the bone marrow is usually done to detect the presence of mutated myeloma cells.

Commercial immunoassay has been introduced recently; this helps in measurement of free light chains.

There are three stages of multiple myeloma

The staging systems used are International Staging System (ISS) and the Durie-Salmon system.

According to ISS;

• Stage I: Beta 2- microglobulin< 3.5mg/ L, albumin >= 3.5 g/ dL
• Stage II: Beta2- microglobulin< 3.5 mg/L, albumin < 3.5 g/dL or Beta 2-microglobulin 3.5 mg/L to 5.5 mg/L irrespective of albumin.
• Stage III: Beta 2- microglobulin >= 5.5 mg/L.

This system has some limitations and is not applicable in all the cases of multiple myeloma.

According to Durie- Salmon system;

Stage I: Normal blood calcium level.

RBC count is normal or a little low.

Bones are normal or slightly damaged.

Light chain excretion< 4g/24 hr

Stage II: Blood calcium level, RBC count similar to stage I.

Damage can be found in 1 or 2 bones.

Stage III: High calcium >12mg/dL

Evident anemia and low RBC count.

Damage can be seen to 3 or more bones.

Light chain excretion > 12g/24hr

The treatment for multiple myeloma is mostly for containment and suppression.

Oral or intravenous medications to kill myeloma cells are prescribed. Transfusion of healthy stem cells, preferably from a donor might be given.

If the cancer is contained then corticosteroids and Thalidomide may be given to stop the disease progression.

In case of relapse, treatment is done with the original medications in addition to medications that can make the original medications more effective.

The causes of multiple myeloma have not yet been confirmed. There is difference in opinion even among the scientists. This disease occurs mostly in older patients. 75% patients are above 70 years. It is more common in men and occurs more among African Americans in comparison to white Americans.

The prognosis is variable but commonly its 62 months for stage I, 45 months for stage II and 29 months for stage III. But the prognosis differs from patient to patient.

Multiple myeloma is a kind of blood borne cancer. The main cause of cancer is genetic mutation- when the structure of the DNA in the cell is altered. The DNA holds all the information for a cell. It tells the cell when to grow, divide itself or to die. As a result of mutation, the instructions contained in the DNA are changed. Sometimes it accelerates the cell growth and stops the cell from dying. The old cells do not die, and the new cells continue to form. As a result, mutated cells start to build up in the body at a large number.

Uncontrollable reproduction of cells is the ultimate result. In the case of multiple myeloma, this leads to too many plasma cells or white blood cells inside the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft, blood producing tissue that is found inside most of our bones. For any normal person, the bone marrow consists of less than five% of plasma cells. However, for a multiple myeloma patient, the ratio is more than ten % This is called multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma, unlike most cancers spreads through the bloodstream. The mutate cells start from the bone marrow of the spine, then spreads thorough the body by bloodstream and affect the other bones such as the skull or the hips. The disease is called multiple myeloma because it can spread very fast throughout the body via the bloodstream.

Most cancers are localized to one part of the body. However, it is completely different in case of multiple myeloma. It is very hard to completely cure multiple myeloma, as it moves from one part of the body to another very fast.

Now let us see some of the risk factors and multiple myeloma:

Scientists are not sure of what triggers multiple myeloma yet. Why the DNA in the plasma cells mutates into these cancerous cells is still unknown. According to experts, the following factors may be associated with multiple myeloma causes:

1. Age: Almost 96% of the multiple myeloma cases were diagnosed in patients over 45 years of age. So, age maybe a big factor when it comes to multiple myeloma causes.

2. Genetics: We know people who have a close relative or family history of cancer may have a higher risk of having cancer. This is true for multiple myeloma too.

3. Obesity: This is a risk factor for many diseases, including multiple myeloma.

4. Food habits: Some studies have shown that there might be a link to having a diet low in fish and green vegetables. This may be a risk factor for multiple myeloma causes.

5. HIV/ AIDS: People with HIV or AIDS have a very weak immune system. So, they are more susceptible to this disease.

6. Occupation: Compared to the rest of the occupation, people who work in agriculture, leather industries, cosmetology, etc have a higher chance of getting this multiple myeloma. SO, this can one of the multiple myeloma causes.

7. Exposure to radiation: People who were exposed to radiation have a higher chance of having multiple myeloma.

The name Multiple Myeloma comes from Greek word myelo, meaning bone marrow. It is also known as plasma cell myeloma or the Kahler’s disease (after Otto Kahler). It is a cancer of plasma cells also known as white blood cells responsible for the production of antibodies in the human body. The abnormal cells accumulate in bones in bones and create bone lesions. They are also found in the bone marrow where they interrupt the production of normal blood cells.  In most cases, myeloma produces something called the Para protein. This Para protein can cause kidney problems and can interfere with the normal production of antibodies which then leads to immunodeficiency. A hypercalcemia or high level of calcium is also found in most cases.

Multiple myeloma symptoms and signs vary from person to person. If the disease is in the early stage which is also called smoldering multiple myeloma, it may not show any symptoms at all. As the disease spreads, it is most likely that you will face at least one of the four major multiple myeloma symptoms that are common with this disease.

1. High level of calcium in the blood: This happens when the calcium from the affected bones appear in the blood. This may cause nausea, loss of appetite, excessive thirst, constipation and sometimes confusion. This may be one of the first multiple myeloma symptoms.

2. Renal failure: Very high level of abnormal monoclonal proteins which are also called light chains of Bence Jones proteins can be found in the body. These proteins can cause massive amount of kidney problems and eventually shut it down completely.

3. Anaemia related fatigue: Red blood cells carry the oxygen needed for our cells. As the myeloma cells slowly replace the red blood cells in the bone marrow, the oxygen carrying red cells become fewer in number. So, fatigue is one of the multiple myeloma symptoms people can experience.

4. Damage of the bones and possible fracture: As the myeloma cells attack the bones, the bones become weaker. So, there is high level of bone damage in the body.  The type of bone damage usually found in the multiple myeloma is called osteolytic and they look like punched out spots on the x-ray. Bone pain may be seen in the body, especially in the back, pelvis, ribs and skull region. This pain may increase many folds with increased activity.

Other than that, there is also increase chance of infections. Pneumonias and pyelonephritis are the most common infection of all the affects the body during multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma treatments include chemotherapy. The disease is already stopping the production of normal antibodies that fight diseases and infections. Moreover, this chemotherapy is also very toxic for the body and destroys good blood cells. So, the first couple of months after starting the chemotherapy is very vital as this is the most vulnerable time for a multiple myeloma patient.

Weight loss and weakness or numbness in the leg regions are also some of the multiple myeloma symptoms.

Multiple Myeloma Treatment

One of multiple myeloma treatment available today is Immune modulating Therapy. Using this kind of treatment increases the infection risks that may be encountered by the patient. This is also true with chemotherapy. Almost a third of such infections are considered fatal, limiting the possibility of administering chemotherapy. And usually, in order to avoid this and prevent the infections, antibiotics are administered everyday during the first 2 months of such treatment.

This kind of multiple myeloma treatments makes use of different kinds of biological therapy agents. One of which is Lenalidomide (Revlimid®). This is a drug that is immune-modulating during the initial stages of the treatment. Most of the time, it is used alongside with a corticosteroid called dexamethasone. Those patients who are planning to have subsequent stem cell transplantation, which is another treatment, prefer this as their initial treatment. This is done by making the patients take pills, with Lenalidomide taken for twenty one days while dexamethasone is taken once every week. However, it should be noted that this combination increases the risk of blood clot development. For this reason, anticoagulants are recommended. Also, it is unadvisable to administer Lenalidomide this to women who are pregnant because it can cause birth defects that are severe. Another agent is called Thalidomide (Thalomid®). This is also used alongside dexamethasone and is a substitute to the first combination mentioned. This kind of combination is said to be less effective and has greater side effects that are toxic. The last biological therapy agent used Immune Modulating Therapy as a multiple myeloma treatment is Bortezomib (Velcade®). This is most effective when the patients have other tumors apart from multiple myeloma. It is also helpful when the patient experiences failure in his kidney. The side effects of this medication are damage in the nerves and low blood count.

Immune modulating Therapy is not the only treatment for this disease. Find multiple myeloma treatment available like chemotherapy and the like that is suitable for a patient.