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Blood Cancer

Multiple Myeloma Cancer

CancerGuru Types of Cancer Multiple Myeloma
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Overview

Multiple myeloma is a very rare type of blood cancer that involves plasma cells. These plasma cells are an important part of your immune system. They normally help your body fight infection by secreting antibodies. In multiple myeloma, abnormal plasma cells override the control mechanism and begin many others. These abnormal cells secrete defective antibodies known as M proteins. This aberration can lead to sufficient problems, such as destruction of bones, occurrence of kidneys, and inhibition of healthy blood cell production.

Some people suffer from multiple myeloma with no symptoms, although some early signs could be picked up by blood tests. In that way, the doctors may recommend a watchful waiting approach rather than immediate treatment. However, multiple myeloma isn't curable, but management can alleviate symptoms and slow its progression.

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Types of Multiple Myeloma Cancer

There are fewer common types of multiple myeloma.

  • Myeloma by immunoglobulin type
  • Light chain myeloma
  • Non-secretory myeloma
  • Solitary plasmacytoma of the bone
  • Extramedullary plasmacytoma

Risk Factors

Infer from gene uprisings, having no precise origin, even several contributory factors may provoke multiple myeloma as follow:

The exact risk factors for Multiple Myeloma Cancer is still unknown, but here are some factors that may provoke it:

  • Age:

    Increasing age also increases the possibility of falling into this illness.

  • Race:

    Compared to white Americans, African Americans are highly predisposed to developing multiple myeloma.

  • Gender:

    The chance of disease is slightly raised in men than in women.

  • Family History:

    A patient's risk may increase if the family has a history of multiple myeloma or some other blood malignancy.

  • Exposure to Radiation & Chemical:

    Long-term exposure to radiation or certain chemicals can also probably increase the chances of contracting the disease.

  • History of Plasma Cell Disorders:

    Disorders such as MGUS (Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance) may give a nudge towards the development of multiple myeloma.

Symptoms

Symptoms of Multiple Myeloma Cancer

Multiple Myeloma Cancer doesn’t have any symptoms, but when signs and symptoms happen, they can include: 

  • Bone pain, especially in the spine, chest or hips
  • Constipation
  • Infections
  • Loss of appetite
  • Mental fogginess or confusion
  • Nausea
  • Needing to urinate often
  • Thirst
  • Tiredness
  • Weaknesses
  • Weight loss

Causes

The causes of multiple myeloma have been under investigation by many researchers who are interested in the possible underlying contributory factors.

  • Genetic Mutations:

    Certain small changes or deletions in certain genes may predispose an individual to the development of multiple myeloma. This might include losses in a region of chromosome 13.

  • Environmental factors:

    Exposure to harmful radiation or contact with potential carcinogenic chemicals-herbicides, fertilizers, and other chemicals (including Agent Orange)-may increase risk.

  • Chronic Inflammation:

    This factor may also contribute, just as in chronic heart disease conditions, Type 2 diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis.

  • Obesity:

    Higher than usual body weight is associated with a higher relative risk for multiple myeloma.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of multiple myeloma is a lengthy process involving many tests and evaluations. The process can sometimes be confirmed to diagnosis and staging. Since it has symptoms similar to other conditions, other conditions must be ruled out as one of the possibilities before the diagnosis is made.

In the Early Steps

All those who are going to practice among the medical professions should thereby read perhaps the medical history and also physical examination, which is supposed to constitute patient symptoms, family history, previous abnormal blood, and urine tests.

  • Complete Blood Count-Briefing: The CBC determines red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood; it examines the risk of anemia, infection, and bleeding disorder.
1. Blood and Urine Tests
  • X-Ray: Blood Chemistry Tests - Measure proteins, calcium, and kidney function.
  • AQUIG (Quantitative Immunoglobulin Test): Determines increased levels of immunoglobulins in some conditions.
  • Protein electrophoresis: SPEP, UPEP – To identify the presence of abnormal M-proteins in blood or urine.
  • Free Light Chain Test (researches the presence of Bence Jones proteins, a marker for multiple myeloma).
2. Biopsy
  • Bone Marrow Aspiration & Biopsy: Confirm the presence of abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow.
  • Amyloid Biopsy: Detects deposits of amyloid proteins which may be associated with myeloma.
3. Cytogenetic & Molecular Testing
  • Karyotyping & FISH Testing: Detects chromosomal abnormalities by which disease progress can be predicted.
  • Flow Cytometry & Immunohistochemistry: Shows the properties and abnormalities of plasma cells.
4. Imaging Tests
  • X-ray (skeletal survey): to show bone damage and/or plasmacytomas.
  • MRI and CT scan: alteration in the marrow of bones, compression of the spinal cord, or the presence of a tumor.
  • PET scan and PET-CT: to find surprisingly active areas concerning the cancerous portions and fractures of bone.

Those tests helped provide healthcare providers with enough confirmation to finalize the diagnosis of multiple myeloma, check how severe the disease was, and establish a personalized treatment scheme.

Treatments

Myeloma specialists would evaluate you against your symptoms to know if you have had disease progression. Patients with MGUS will not be treated but put under surveillance for developing symptoms, at which point a treatment plan of targeted therapy would be formulated.

If symptoms do appear, treatments might include the following:

  • Pain medication: Pain in the bone is a common complaint; thus, analgesics may be given.
  • Antibiotics: Since multiple myeloma weakens immunity, it can encourage infections. Antibiotics combat such infections.
  • Steroids: Large doses kill cancer cells and decrease inflammation. Chemotherapy works by decreasing abnormal plasma cells in your body.
  • Immunotherapy: enhances your immune response against cancer cells more effectively.
  • Radiation treatment: kills cancer cells and shrinks bone tumors.

Most transplants are autologous-your stem cells are used-but they can also be allogeneic-stem cells from a donor are used. Your doctor may replace your sick or damaged stem cells with healthy ones.

Side Effects of Treatment

Depending on the type of treatment undertaken, one might expect side effects to be experienced during myeloma therapy. Some of these effects are:

  • Pain medication: Pain relievers: opioids and NSAIDs. Pain medicines help pain but may cause adverse effects, like fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and constipation due to the use of those painful opioids over time; eventually building dependency. NSAIDs irritate the stomach lining, resulting into ulcers forming and bleeding.
  • Antibiotics: These are drugs that treat or prevent infections in patients with immunosuppressive multiple myeloma. Abdominal or stomach pain; nausea and diarrhea oftentimes accompany antibiotics. Rarely, members exhibit allergy symptoms such as redness, itching, or swelling. Chronic or frequents antibiotic treatment tends to be hazardous in this regard;. Treatment of such infections may be more difficult eventually because of resistance toward the antibiotics.
  • Steroids (Dexamethasone, Prednisone): Steroids destroy cancer cells and control the inflammatory process; however, they have many side effects. Increased appetite and weight gain are some of those mentioned. Mood changes such as irritability, insomnia (inability to sleep) and increased blood sugar levels (demarcating the risk of diabetes), along with bone weakness, cause osteoporosis in the long run.
  • Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy specifically destroys cancerous plasma cells, but unfortunately, healthy cells are also influenced by this procedure; hence, tiredness and weakness follows. Most of the patients lose hair and have both nausea and vomiting, along with appetite loss. Chemotherapy reduces the white blood count, thus increasing the incidence of infections. The other expected side effect can be nerve injury that forms tingling, numbness, or pain expressed in hands and/or feet (peripheral neuropathy).
  • Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy helps with the defense of the immune system against cancer but may also show flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, and body aches. Fatigue is also a very common effect along with skin reactions such as rashes and itching. In some cases, there can be overactivity of the immune system resulting in autoimmune responses in which the body turns against its own healthy tissues.
  • Radiation Therapy: Radiation treatment is mainly to shrink tumors or bone pain relief, but the area treated may cause skin irritation or burns. More commonly, they also complain of fatigue, as radiation to a bone may weaken that bone, thus predisposing the patient to fractures. Radiation directed near the abdomen may induce nausea, digestive problems, and loss of appetite.
  • Stem Cell Therapy Transplant: Stem cell transplantation is one of the most effective treatments except for the fact that, unfortunately, serious effects are concomitant. With this, the immunity becomes temporarily maligned, thereby encouraging a very high likelihood for infections. Nausea, vomiting, soreness of the mouth and throat during recovery are all things that count as normal procedures. The blood counts may fall, resulting in anemia, increased bleeding, and greater susceptibility to infections. If donor cells were used, there is also the chance of a donor versus host reaction where the immune system attacks the transplanted cells.

These side effects tend to be really hard to deal with, but doctors are going to follow your case closely and offer supportive care to help with the side effects. If you want to know anything related to this treatment in detail, you can ask!

Support

For patients living with multiple myeloma, the disease brings with it an array of physical and emotional upheavals, yet some support schemes exist to help patients deal with this condition and improve their quality of life.

Emotional & Psychological Support
The emotional aftermath of situations like this can sometimes be the straw that breaks the camel's back, what with anxiety, depression, and stress. Conversations or counselling bring out the relevant emotions as venting points. Such a platform works best when between others on support groups, be they in person or even virtual; sharing is among people with similar challenges in life. Others might prefer their family, clergy, or therapists as more-to-the-point vessels for carrying their emotions.
Medical and Palliative Care
While treating multiple myeloma effectively, medical care also needs its aspect of comfort in the palliative phases. Palliative care minimizes symptoms (like pain, fatigue, and nausea) while maximizing the comfort level. Physical therapy should be very beneficial to patients relative to mobility issues and muscle strength; occupational therapy would provide coverage for the performance of the daily activities.
Nutritional Support
Really, nutrition needs to take an absolute back seat for anything else to be considered in the management of multiple myeloma. This warrants the nutritionist's recommendations, which keeps the patient well. Meanwhile, nutrition will guard against any side effects like nausea or loss of appetite and against malnutrition. Staying hydrated and eating energy-rich food with nutrients that boost the immune system can greatly help the patients.
Caregivers and Family Support
Caregivers offer most of the support to patients affected by multiple myeloma. Hence, they also need support and guidance in dealing with patient management, emotional support, and daily activities. Support groups for caregivers diminish stress levels and prevent burnout. They also create an environment where family members can learn about the disease.
Financial Assistance and Insurance Guidance
Being treated for cancer can be very expensive, and even the most well-prepared cancer patients struggle to withstand the bailiffs or survive on little income. Financial assistance can be in non-profit organizations or through the states in order to assist in covering treatment costs Secure aid: Tips on how to navigate the insurance game confused? A financial counselor or insurance specialist that helps guide patients and maximize benefits can ease the burden of health coverage.
Alternative and Complementary Therapies
Some patients want alternative therapies (for example, the use of acupuncture, meditation, and yoga) to help with pain and stress management. These now should never replace the primary treatment but serve as spinoffs for those, thereby also contributing to the patient's mental well-being. Patients should always consult their doctor on any such complementary therapy.
Community & Online Resources
Organizations across the globe provide a number of resources to multiple myeloma patients in the form of educational literature, news concerning relevant research, and patient advocacy. The internet-based forums and social media groups offer an additional community for sharing experiences.

Prevention

There is no sure way to deny the occurrence of multiple myeloma, but there are risk-reducing measures that can be taken at various levels. Some risk aspects such as the age or family history are fixed while there are a number of ways, as lifestyle choice and self-care, that individuals can take to reduce their risk of developing the condition.

A healthy weight is good for leading a quality life and may protect against multiple myeloma. The increased portions of different types of cancer, including multiple myeloma, are related to obesity.

High doses of radiation and some chemicals increase the chances of developing multiple myeloma. Avoid unnecessary radiation therapies and beware of chemicals poisonous to your body. Some of the workplaces that are hazardous to chemicals implement safety measures to protect employees from such exposure.

The presence of MGUS indicates a higher risk of multiple myeloma in an individual. However, as of now, no way has been discovered to halt the transformation from MGUS to myeloma. Investigations are in a bid to find methods of early prevention in those at higher risk for developing multiple myeloma.
Questions to Ask your Healthcare Provider about Head and Neck Cancer
  • Q1. Which kind of multiple myeloma is mine?
  • Q2. What options do I have in treating it?
  • Q3. How will the prescribed treatment make me feel?
  • Q4. For how long will I need to adjust to different parts of the treatment plan if I choose it?
  • Q5. What normally follows in every stage of treatment?
  • Q6. How do you keep tabs on my progress as treatment is being received?
  • Q7. Is there a possibility that my multiple myeloma will relapse?
  • Q8. It really concerns me. What trials can I probably take part in?
  • Q9. What can be done about pain and other symptoms of multiple myeloma?
  • Q10. How should I adjust my lifestyle to make my treatment and recovery more effective?
  • Q11. What kind of support resources are there for me and my family?
  • Q12. After I am treated, how often do you expect to set me up with checkups or follow-up tests?