Multiple Myeloma – Symptoms and Causes
Overview
Multiple myeloma starts when plasma cells become cancerous. Normal plasma cells help fight infections by making antibodies that attack germs.
When you have multiple myeloma, these cancerous cells build up in your bone marrow, where blood cells are made. This crowds out healthy cells and causes problems.
Instead of making helpful antibodies, these cancer cells produce proteins that don’t work properly, leading to various health issues.
Many doctors now believe that with proper treatment, some patients can achieve long-term remission or a functional cure.
Treatment isn’t always needed right away. If the cancer grows slowly and causes no symptoms, doctors might just watch it closely at first. For those who need treatment, several options can help control the disease.
Medical teams typically create personalized treatment plans based on:
- Age and overall health
- Stage of the disease
- Specific genetic features of the cancer
- Previous treatments received
Early diagnosis and modern treatments have significantly improved outcomes. Many patients now live for years with a good quality of life after diagnosis, and researchers are developing promising new therapies.
Signs of Multiple Myeloma
At first, multiple myeloma might cause no symptoms. As the disease progresses, you might notice these problems:
- Bone pain (especially in the spine, chest, or hips)
- Feeling sick to your stomach
- Trouble having bowel movements
- Reduced hunger
- Thinking difficulties or confusion
- Feeling very tired
- Getting sick more often
- Losing weight without trying
- Muscle weakness
- Feeling thirsty often
- Needing to use the bathroom frequently
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
If you notice any worrying symptoms, don’t wait. Schedule an appointment with your doctor right away. Early detection can lead to better treatment outcomes.
What Causes Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma starts when a single plasma cell in the bone marrow changes into a cancer cell. Scientists don’t know exactly why this happens. When a plasma cell becomes cancerous, it makes many more myeloma cells very quickly.
Normal cells have rules for growth and death, and cancer cells break these rules. They make too many cells that live longer than they should.
In multiple myeloma, these extra cancer cells fill up the bone marrow and push out healthy blood cells. This is why people with myeloma often feel tired and get sick easily.
The myeloma cells try to make antibodies like normal plasma cells do. However, these antibodies (called monoclonal proteins or M proteins) don’t work properly.
Instead, they build up in the body and cause problems. These M proteins have the potential to harm the kidneys. Myeloma cells can also weaken bones, making them break more easily.
A Connection with MGUS
Before developing multiple myeloma, most people first have a condition called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). In this condition, there are M proteins in the blood, but their levels are low.
These proteins don’t cause damage or symptoms. MGUS isn’t cancer, but it can sometimes change into multiple myeloma over time. Doctors often monitor people with MGUS to watch for signs of myeloma developing.
Risk Factors
Several factors may increase your chance of developing multiple myeloma:
- Age – Most diagnoses occur in people in their late 60s.
- Gender – Men have a higher risk than women.
- Race – Black people develop multiple myeloma at higher rates than other racial groups.
- Family history – Having a parent or sibling with multiple myeloma raises your risk.
- MGUS condition – Multiple myeloma typically begins as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.
It’s important to understand that multiple myeloma is not caused by lifestyle choices or behaviors.
No one chooses to develop this condition, and there are currently no known prevention methods. These risk factors simply indicate groups that show higher rates of the disease.
Health Complications
Multiple myeloma can lead to several serious health problems. These include:
- A weakened immune system that makes it harder for your body to fight off infections
- Bone issues, including pain, thinning, and fractures
- Kidney damage that may progress to complete kidney failure
- Anemia (low red blood cell count) caused by myeloma cells crowding out healthy blood cells
These complications happen because myeloma cells disrupt normal body functions. They affect blood cell production and can damage important organs.
