Multiple myeloma is a major health concern, as it affects the plasma cells in your body. These are the white blood cells that make antibodies, but when the cancer gets involved, abnormal plasma cells accumulate in your bones and bone marrow. This can have a damaging impact on your wellbeing, since the bone marrow is your body’s source of blood cells, so multiple myeloma interferes with the production of blood cells, and can lead to the development of bone lesions.
The problem with this type of cancer is that different varieties affect your wellness in different ways, and so some types are more recognisable than others. Indolent myeloma, for example, has no discernable symptoms. As it only develops slowly and does not cause bone tumours, the only things that may be seen are small increases in M plasma cells and M protein, which is an abnormal type of antibody found in myeloma patients. Solitary plasmocytoma, on the other hand, does involve a tumour which is usually found in one of your bones. This kind of multiple myeloma tends to respond well to treatment, but your doctor will have to monitor it closely.
As it stands, wellness experts are unsure as to what exactly causes multiple myeloma, but they do know that it begins with one abnormal plasma cell. When this cell multiplies in your bone marrow, it does so far more times than it should and – instead of multiplying and dying out like non-cancerous cells – it keeps dividing indefinitely. As a result, your body can become overwhelmed and start impairing the production of your healthy cells.
There aren’t many clear risk factors for multiple myeloma, but there are a few to watch out for:
1. Being over the age of 50 (although you’ll likely be diagnosed in your early to mid 60s)
2. Being male
3. Being of African origin
4. Being overweight or obese
5. Exposure to radiation
6. Having a job in the petroleum industry
7. Having a history of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). At least 1% of people with MGUS will also develop multiple myeloma every year.