Multiple myeloma symptoms & treatment

Multiple myeloma is an uncommon type of blood cancer that can lead to all kinds of symptoms. If you’ve been diagnosed, you may have questions. At Aurora, you’ll receive treatment from specialists who have the answers you need.

What is multiple myeloma?

Multiple myeloma affects your blood’s infection-fighting plasma cells, which are typically found in bone marrow (the soft tissue in the center of your bones).

When plasma cells become cancerous, they multiply out of control, forming tumors in your bones and causing them to weaken. They begin to make an abnormal protein called monoclonal protein (M-protein). This blood cancer also makes it harder for your bone marrow to produce healthy blood cells, which increases your risk of infection. The abnormal cells also lead to lower levels of all kinds of blood cells which makes it hard for your body to function correctly.

The most common places for bone pain are the skull, spine, rib cage, pelvis and areas around the hips and shoulders.

Diagnosis of multiple myeloma

Sometimes multiple myeloma is diagnosed after a routine blood or urine test. Or, if your doctor believes you might have multiple myeloma, they will draw some of your blood and conduct a complete blood count (CBC). A low red blood cell count (anemia) or a higher-than-normal level of protein can be signs of the disease.

Your doctor might also take X-rays of your bones or remove some of the marrow from your hip bone or another large bone in a biopsy. These tests can show bone damage caused by myeloma cells. A biopsy can also show if your bone marrow contains abnormal plasma cells or has low levels of white blood cells or platelets (other signs of multiple myeloma).

Multiple myeloma is more than twice as common among Black people than it is among White people.

More research is needed to uncover both causes and treatments. Clinical trials are underway.

Services & treatment for people with multiple myeloma

With treatment, most people can return to near-normal activity. You and your doctor will discuss the best course of action to relieve your pain, reduce complications and slow the progress of the disease. This may include:

Surveillance: A watch-and-wait approach may be appropriate if your cancer is progressing slowly and you’re not experiencing any symptoms. Your doctor will regularly meet with you to check on your condition.

Chemotherapy: These drugs interfere with cancer cells' ability to reproduce.

Radiation therapy: This procedure directs high-energy rays to kill myeloma cells. Your doctor may use radiation therapy to treat areas of your bones that have been damaged by the disease.

Bone marrow transplant/stem cell transplant: These procedures help rebuild your bone marrow after chemotherapy. It may be recommended after an extremely high dose of chemo, which can kill off your healthy stem cells (immature blood cells) as well as the cancer cells. There are two types of stem cell transplants: Allogeneic (stem cells are transplanted from a donor) and autologous (stem cells are taken from your body before chemo/radiation and returned afterward).