Multiple Myeloma

Recognizing Early Symptoms of Multiple Myeloma 

At first, people with multiple myeloma may not experience any symptoms Eventually, they can experience symptoms such as:

• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Extreme tiredness
• Weakness
• Shortness of breath and dizziness due to the decreased production of red blood cells
• Increased vulnerability to infection due to abnormal function of the cancerous plasma cells and decreased production of other types of normal white blood cells
• Bone pain due to the overcrowding of those abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow but also because of these cells produce specific substances that can break down the bone and lead to specific bone lesions and sometimes lead to bone fractures.

After diagnosis, patients receive specific treatments against multiple myeloma, the disease can go away, which is called remission from multiple myeloma. However, there is a possibility that the disease may return which is referred to as relapsed multiple myeloma. If multiple myeloma comes back while the patient is still receiving a specific treatment, the disease has become resistant to that particular treatment. This is called refractory multiple myeloma.

What are the causes of multiple myeloma?

While specific causes for developing multiple myeloma are unknown, certain risk factors exist that may increase the likelihood of developing the disease. Important risk factors include older age (60+ years), being male, being of Sub-Saharan African descent and having a family history of multiple myeloma.¹

Multiple myeloma is twice more common in Black Americans compared to other groups and is more likely to affect men than women.

How is multiple myeloma diagnosed?

Most multiple myeloma patients are diagnosed in their late 60s.

Multiple myeloma can sometimes be discovered during routine blood tests or during testing in case of presence of symptoms that could indicate multiple myeloma. Diagnostic procedures include:

1. Blood tests to detect the abnormal proteins produced by the plasma cells (M proteins) as well as other specific biomarkers such as beta-2-microglobulin. A biomarker is something in your body that doctors can measure to understand your health. It’s an objective sign, meaning it doesn’t rely on how you feel, that can be checked accurately and consistently.
2. Urine tests to look for the presence of these abnormal proteins produced by the plasma cells in the urine (Bence Jones proteins (BJP)).
3. Bone marrow tests, such as biopsies and aspirations, collect samples from the hip bone to identify the presence of these cancerous myeloma cells and look for specific genetic changes.
4. Imaging tests including PET-CT and MRI scans, help reveal bone lesions.

These diagnostic methods help to identify the disease stage as well as the risk level which helps to determine the aggressiveness of the disease and therefore helps to guide treatment planning but also to determine expected outcome of the disease.