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- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
- Cholesterol Medicines
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- How to Lower Cholesterol
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- Jaundice
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- Pain
- Rare Diseases
- Raynaud’s Disease
- Sciatica
- Speech and Communication Disorders
- Stuttering
Multiple Myeloma
Summary
Multiple myeloma is a cancer that begins in plasma cells, a type of white blood cell. These cells are part of your immune system, which helps protect the body from germs and other harmful substances. In time, myeloma cells collect in the bone marrow and in the solid parts of bones.
No one knows the exact causes of multiple myeloma, but it is more common in older people and African Americans. It can run in families. Common symptoms may include:
- Bone pain, often in the back or ribs
- Fractures (broken bones)
- Weakness or fatigue
- Weight loss
- Frequent infections and fevers
- Feeling very thirsty
- Frequent urination
Doctors diagnose multiple myeloma using lab tests, imaging tests, and a bone marrow biopsy. Your treatment depends on how advanced the disease is and whether you have symptoms. If you have no symptoms, you may not need treatment right away. If you have symptoms, you may have chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation, radiation, or targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
Encyclopedia
- 24-hour urine protein Medical Encyclopedia
- After chemotherapy – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
- B and T cell screen Medical Encyclopedia
- Bone marrow transplant – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
- Bone-marrow transplant – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia
- Cryoglobulins Medical Encyclopedia
- Immunoelectrophoresis – blood Medical Encyclopedia
- Immunoelectrophoresis – urine Medical Encyclopedia
- Immunofixation – blood Medical Encyclopedia
- Immunofixation – urine Medical Encyclopedia
- Quantitative nephelometry test Medical Encyclopedia
- T-cell count Medical Encyclopedia
Find an Expert
- American Cancer Society American Cancer Society
- Find a Cancer Doctor American Society of Clinical Oncology
- National Cancer Institute National Cancer Institute
- NCI Designated Cancer Centers National Cancer Institute
Related Issues
- Amyloidosis Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS) Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Questions to Ask about Multiple Myeloma American Cancer Society
- Risk Factors for Multiple Myeloma American Cancer Society
- What Causes Multiple Myeloma? American Cancer Society
Diagnosis and Tests
- Beta 2 Microglobulin (B2M) Tumor Marker Test National Library of Medicine
- Blood Count Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
- Bone Marrow Test National Library of Medicine
- Can Multiple Myeloma Be Found Early? American Cancer Society
- Free Light Chains National Library of Medicine
- Immunofixation (IFE) Blood Test National Library of Medicine
- Stages of Plasma Cell Neoplasms (Including Multiple Myeloma) National Cancer Institute
- Tests to Find Multiple Myeloma American Cancer Society
- Tumor Marker Tests National Library of Medicine
- Understanding Your Test Results International Myeloma Foundation
Treatments and Therapies
- Blood-Forming Stem Cell Transplants National Cancer Institute
- Bone Marrow Transplantation: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
- Drugs Approved for Multiple Myeloma and Other Plasma Cell Neoplasms National Cancer Institute
- Integrative Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Therapies Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
- Thalidomide: Research Advances in Cancer and Other Conditions Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Treatment Option Overview (Plasma Cell Neoplasms Including Multiple Myeloma) National Cancer Institute
Patient Handouts
- Bone marrow transplant Medical Encyclopedia
- Multiple myeloma Medical Encyclopedia
- Protein electrophoresis – serum Medical Encyclopedia
- Quantitative Bence-Jones protein test Medical Encyclopedia
- Serum globulin electrophoresis Medical Encyclopedia
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Multiple Myeloma National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Plasmacytoma National Institutes of Health
Start Here
- General Information about Plasma Cell Neoplasms (Including Multiple Myeloma) National Cancer Institute
- Multiple Myeloma American Academy of Family Physicians
- Multiple Myeloma: Patient Handbook International Myeloma Foundation
- Myeloma Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
- Understanding Multiple Myeloma Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
- What Is Multiple Myeloma? American Cancer Society
Statistics and Research
- Key Statistics about Multiple Myeloma American Cancer Society
- Myeloma National Cancer Institute
- Pomalidomide Plus Low-Dose Dexamethasone Improves Survival for Patients with Multiple Myeloma National Cancer Institute
- What’s New in Multiple Myeloma Research and Treatment? American Cancer Society
Living With
- Living as a Multiple Myeloma Survivor American Cancer Society
Symptoms
- Multiple Myeloma Symptoms and Causes Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Genetics
- Multiple myeloma: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine