CHENNAI: Multiple myeloma is one of the common types of blood cancer arising from plasma cells that live inside the bone marrow. It accounts for about 10-15 per cent of blood cancers. Myeloma incidence in India is about 1.0 per 100,000, but it is likely to gradually increase based on recent data. There is a lack of awareness leading to many myths about the illness, thus let us look at a few of the myths and truths about multiple myeloma.
Multiple myeloma runs in families - Myth
Only about 3 to 5 per cent of patients with multiple myeloma have a family history, the vast majority of myeloma patients don’t have a family history of the disease. Mutations causing multiple myeloma are acquired and aren’t passed on from a parent’s genes to a child.
Multiple myeloma can break bones - Truth
Myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells that live in the bone marrow and becomes malignant. Thus, it can weaken the bones, cause bone pain and make the bones prone to fracture with minimal or no force on them. These fractures are termed pathological fractures which mostly happen in the skull, spine, pelvis, shoulders, ribs, and hips. Some common symptoms of multiple myeloma include bone pain, weakness, and bone fractures.
It is difficult to diagnose multiple myeloma - Myth
Diagnosing multiple myeloma in the present era of cancer diagnosis and therapy is fairly simple and can be achieved promptly. Initial evaluation of patients suspected to have multiple myeloma involves laboratory blood tests to look for blood components, liver and kidney functions, and also to look for an abnormal cancer-related protein called monoclonal para protein.
Diagnosis of multiple myeloma can be easily confirmed with bone marrow examination. One can assess the extent of involvement of bones with various advanced imaging techniques. There are advanced molecular genetic techniques to risk stratify myeloma and all of these can be done in just a
couple of days.
Myeloma patients can survive for many years - Truth
Treatment of multiple myeloma has evolved remarkably in the last few decades. Improved understanding of myeloma biology has led to advances in diagnosis, prognosis, response assessment, and also the development of a plethora of treatment therapies such as immunotherapies and cellular therapies. These advances have led to very impressive improvements in the survival rates of myeloma patients. Most patients now have long survival with a good quality of life.
Multiple myeloma is curable - Myth
Presently, there is no cure for multiple myeloma, though we are headed in that direction. But it is now a very treatable cancer and it’s possible to keep the cancer under control for a long time.
Myeloma bone marrow transplantation is done with patient’s own stem cells - Truth
Most commonly, Autologous Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is done for myeloma where the patient’s own stem cells are re-infused after giving the patient high-dose chemotherapy to kill his/her cancer cells. This procedure helps to control the cancer for a long time.
Treatment of multiple myeloma is painful & involves lots of surgery and radiation - Myth
Multiple myeloma is largely treated with chemo-immunotherapeutic agents, biological agents, and monoclonal antibodies. Treatment does not involve surgical intervention in the majority of patients.
(The writer is consultant - haematology, haematooncology & bone marrow transplantation, Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road, Bengaluru)