What is early stage myeloma?

This earliest phase is called smoldering multiple myeloma. When you have it, you won't have any symptoms, but your test results will show: At least 10% to 59% of your bone marrow is made up of cancerous plasma cells. You have the abnormal antibodies that myeloma cells make in your blood or urine.

How long can you live with stage 1 myeloma?

About 82 percent of people with stage 1 disease live for five years or more after being diagnosed. Approximately 62 percent of people with stage 2 disease live at least five years after diagnosis. About 40 percent of people with stage 3 disease live for five years or more.

Can myeloma be cured if caught early?

While there is no cure for multiple myeloma, the cancer can be managed successfully in many patients for years. The common types of treatments used for multiple myeloma are described below. Your care plan may also include treatment for symptoms and side effects, an important part of cancer care.

What is usually the first early symptom of multiple myeloma?

Multiple myeloma causes many symptoms, but bone pain often is the first symptom people notice. Other symptoms include: Weakness in your arms and legs and/or a sensation of numbness in your arms and legs. Multiple myeloma can affect the bones in your spine, causing them to collapse and press on your spinal cord.

Where does myeloma usually start?

Doctors know that myeloma begins with one abnormal plasma cell in your bone marrow — the soft, blood-producing tissue that fills in the center of most of your bones. The abnormal cell multiplies rapidly.

How do I Know the Stage of my Myeloma?

Where does myeloma spread to first?

At first, the cells reproduce in the bone marrow of the spine. From there, they enter the bloodstream and travel to bone marrow in other parts of the body. They collect in the bone marrow and the hard, outer part of the bones. As this progression happens, the plasma cells can cause multiple tumors.

What triggers myeloma?

What Are Its Causes? Exposure to toxic chemicals, atomic radiation, anything that interferes with the immune system, or infection with cancer-causing viruses, may potentially be linked to the developing myeloma.

How do you slow down multiple myeloma?

What is the first treatment for myeloma?

Your first or initial treatment is likely to be a combination of different types of drugs. The team caring for may call this treatment chemotherapy or chemo but it includes other types of cancer drugs not just chemotherapy. These work in different ways to kill the myeloma cells.

Can you live a normal life with myeloma?

Apart from ongoing monitoring, most myeloma patients are able to live fairly normal lives, with few restrictions on low-impact exercise and other activity.

How fast does myeloma spread?

How quickly multiple myeloma progresses can vary between people. An older 2007 study of 276 people found that there was a 10% risk of progression in people with early multiple myeloma per year for the first 5 years of illness.

What are the red flags for multiple myeloma?

High blood levels of calcium

Extreme thirst, leading to drinking a lot. Urinating (peeing) a lot. Dehydration. Kidney problems and even kidney failure.

Can you live 20 years with myeloma?

While multiple myeloma doesn't yet have a cure and can be fatal, patients' life expectancies vary widely, according to Jens Hillengass, MD, Chief of Myeloma at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. “I have seen patients live from several weeks to more than 20 years after being diagnosed,” Dr. Hillengass says.

Is myeloma always terminal?

Treatment for myeloma can be very effective at controlling the disease, relieving its symptoms and complications, and prolonging life. Unfortunately, though, myeloma is currently an incurable (terminal) cancer.

Is walking good for myeloma?

Build Up Your Bones

Weight-bearing exercises (in which your bones support your own weight) like walking, climbing stairs, or dancing, can help to strengthen bones. Be sure to contact your physician if weight-bearing activity leads you to experience bone pain, or a change in your pain symptoms.

What is the most frequent cause of death in a patient with multiple myeloma?

Infection is a major complication and a leading cause of death in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) [1]. The risk of infection is due to a multifactorial immunodeficiency caused by the disease itself and the treatment regimens given during the different phases of therapy [2].

Are we close to a cure for myeloma?

Multiple myeloma is currently not curable, but we can manage the disease effectively for years. For active myeloma, treatment may include chemotherapy, proteasome inhibitors, immune-modifying drugs or other medications, or stem cell transplantation.

What organ is most affected by multiple myeloma?

Multiple myeloma, also known as myeloma, is a type of bone marrow cancer. Bone marrow is the spongy tissue found at the centre of some bones. It produces the body's blood cells. Multiple myeloma affects the plasma cells (a type of blood cell) inside the bone marrow.

Can myeloma be caused by stress?

Stress can be a very destructive force when it comes to myeloma. Stress really disrupts the immune system and myeloma is a cancer of the immune system. In addition, the stress hormone noradrenaline (the "flight" hormone, versus adrenaline, the "fight" hormone) can actually trigger cancer cell growth directly.

Who is at high risk for multiple myeloma?

People who have been exposed to radiation or to asbestos, benzene, pesticides, and other chemicals used in rubber manufacturing may be at higher risk for developing myeloma. People often exposed to wood products, such as carpenters, furniture makers, and paper makers, are also at higher risk.

What bones does multiple myeloma affect first?

The bones most commonly affected are the spine, pelvis, ribs, skull, and the long bones of the arms and legs.

At what age do most people get multiple myeloma?

The risk of developing multiple myeloma goes up as people get older. Less than 1% of cases are diagnosed in people younger than 35. Most people diagnosed with this cancer are at least 65 years old.