- Main signs and symptoms
- How to confirm
- How multiple myeloma develops
- Can multiple myeloma cure?
- How the treatment is done
Multiple myeloma is a cancer that affects the cells produced by the bone marrow, called plasmocytes, which start to have their functioning impaired and multiply in an disordered way in the body.
This disease is more common in the elderly, and in the early stages it does not cause symptoms, until the multiplication of imperfect plasma cells increases a lot and causes signs and symptoms such as anemia, bone changes, increased blood calcium, impaired kidney function and increased kidney function. risk of infections.
Multiple myeloma is still considered an incurable disease, however, with the treatments currently available it is possible to obtain periods of stabilization of the disease for years and even decades. Treatment options are indicated by the hematologist, and include chemotherapy with a combination of medications, in addition to bone marrow transplantation.
Main signs and symptoms
In the initial stage, the disease does not cause symptoms. At a more advanced stage, multiple myeloma can cause:
- Decreased physical capacity; Fatigue; Weakness; Nausea and vomiting; Loss of appetite; Thinning; Pain in bones; Frequent bone fractures; Blood changes, such as anemia, decreased white blood cells and platelets. Learn more about this serious bone marrow complication. Alteration in peripheral nerves.
Symptoms related to increased calcium levels, such as fatigue, mental confusion or arrhythmia, as well as changes in kidney function, such as urinary changes, can also be observed.
How to confirm
In order to diagnose multiple myeloma, in addition to clinical evaluation, the hematologist will request tests that help confirm this disease. The myelogram is an essential exam, as it is an aspiration of the bone marrow that will allow the analysis of the cells that make up the marrow, being able to identify the plasma cluster, which in the disease occupies more than 10% of this site. Understand what myelogram is and how it is done.
Another essential test is called protein electrophoresis, which can be done with a blood or urine sample, and is able to identify the increase in defective antibody produced by plasma cells, called protein M. These tests can be complemented with immunological tests, like protein immunofixation.
It is also necessary to carry out tests that monitor and evaluate the complications of the disease, such as blood count to assess anemia and blood disorders, calcium measurement, which may be elevated, creatinine test to check kidney function and bone imaging tests, such as radiographs and MRI.
How multiple myeloma develops
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of genetic origin, but its exact causes are not yet fully understood. It causes a disorderly multiplication of plasma cells, which are important cells generated in the bone marrow with the function of producing antibodies for the defense of the organism.
In people with this disease, these plasmocytes can generate clusters that accumulate in the bone marrow, causing changes in its functioning, and also in other different parts of the body, such as bones.
In addition, plasmocytes do not produce antibodies correctly, producing instead a useless protein called protein M, with a greater predisposition to infections and chances of causing obstruction of the kidney filtration tubules.
Can multiple myeloma cure?
Nowadays, the treatment of multiple myeloma has evolved considerably in relation to the available drugs, so, although it is still not stated that this disease has a cure, it is possible to live with it in a stabilized way for many years.
Thus, in the past, a patient with multiple myeloma had a survival of 2, 4 or at most 5 years, however, today and with the proper treatment it is possible to live for more than 10 or 20 years. However, it is important to remember that there is no rule, and that each case varies according to several factors, such as age, health conditions and severity of the disease.
How the treatment is done
Drug treatment is only indicated for patients with multiple myeloma with symptoms, and those who have abnormal exams but who do not have physical complaints should remain with the hematologist, at a frequency determined by him, which can be every 6 months., for example.
Some major drug options include Dexamethasone, Cyclophosphamide, Bortezomib, Thalidomide, Doxorubicin, Cisplatin or Vincristine, for example, which are guided by the hematologist, usually combined, in cycles of chemotherapy. In addition, several medications are being tested to increasingly facilitate the treatment of patients with this disease.
Bone marrow transplantation is a good option to manage the disease well, however, it is only recommended for patients who are not very old, preferably under 70 years old, or who do not have serious diseases that limit their physical capacity, such as heart or lung disease. Learn more about how bone marrow transplantation is done, when indicated and the risks.
