Multiple Myeloma (MM)
Multiple Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cell, and is an incurable but treatable disease. A progressive blood disease, MM is characterized by high numbers of abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow and by diffuse osteoporosis in the spine, pelvis, ribs, and skull. As abnormal plasma cells are produced they become malignant, dividing unchecked throughout the bloodstream and collecting in the bone marrow where they cause damage to normal tissue.
Symptoms
MM is shown to have a higher incidence of occurrence among people whose occupations routinely expose them to petroleum, insecticides and herbicides, and asbestos. Common symptoms include bone pain, broken bones, especially in the back, fatigue, weight loss, nausea, and frequent infections. Age is a higher risk factor as almost all occurences of MM occur in people over the age of 40. Preliminary diagnosis often occurs as the result of a blood test or an x-ray for broken bones. However, a bone marrow aspiration or bone marrow biopsy are usually required to make a definitive determination.
Treatment Options
MM takes different stages depending on the onset of the disease, and stage I, stage II, and stage III indicate the increasing concentration of myeloma cells in the body. While there is no cure for MM, treatment goals include stopping the spread of the cancer throughout the body, preserving normal quality of life, and pain management.
There is no "standard therapy" for MM treatment, but common therapies include a complex combination of chemotherapy, thalidomide regiments, cortico steroids, and pain management drugs. An increasingly successful therapy is autologus stem cell transplant, a procedure in which a patient's own stem cells from the bone marrow or peripheral blood are collected, stored, and reinfused following high-dose chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Not all patients are candidates for stem cell transplant, and response after initial therapy may tend to plateau after one year, requiring a switch to different therapies.
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