What is multiple myeloma?
Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells. In multiple myeloma, malignant plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow - the soft, spongy tissue in the center of your bones - and crowd out the normal plasma cells that help fight infection. These malignant plasma cells then produce an abnormal antibody called M protein, which is of no benefit to the body and can lead to tumors, kidney damage, bone destruction, and impaired immune function. The characteristic feature of multiple myeloma is a high level of M protein in the blood.
How does multiple myeloma start?
How does this affect the body?
A decreased number of blood cells can lead to anaemia, excessive bleeding, and a decreased ability to fight infection. The accumulation of M protein in the blood and urine can damage the kidneys and other organs. Bone damage can lead to bone pain and osteolytic lesions, which are weakened areas in the bones. This bone destruction increases the risk of fractures and can also lead to a serious condition called hypercalcemia (elevated levels of calcium in the blood).
Causes and increased risk factors
Researchers have made progress in understanding how multiple myeloma develops, but the exact cause is still unknown. Like all cancers, multiple myeloma is heterogeneous, meaning each case is unique. The genetic mutations that cause multiple myeloma vary from person to person. There are some specific mutations that have been identified as genetic risk factors, but multiple myeloma is not thought to be an inherited disease. An increased incidence of multiple myeloma has been found in men, African Americans, and people over the age of 45. Remember, these factors have not been proven to cause multiple myeloma, and new studies regularly provide new evidence to help us identify risk factors and work toward a cure.
Multiple myeloma in black patients
Multiple myeloma is twice as common in the black population as in other ethnicities and is twice as deadly in black patients as in white patients. In addition, the conditions associated with the development of myeloma (including monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance or MGUS) are common in black patients.