Myeloma

• Is a type of cancer that begins in the bone marrow. It is a cancer of plasma cells, which are a type of white blood cells (also called plasma B cells).
• The disease belongs to a spectrum of disorders referred to as “plasma cell dyscrasias” or "plasma cell neoplasms." 
• Has several forms:
  • Multiple myeloma - disease involves multiple sites at the time of diagnosis, the most common form
  • Plasmacytoma - accumulation of malignant plasma cells most often in the bones, skin, muscle or lung. A single tumor is called "solitary plasmacytoma." A tumor outside of the bones may be referred to as an "extramedullary plasmacytoma." The plasmacytoma can often be cured with radiation therapy alone, although it may recur or later develop into myeloma.

Doctors divide myeloma into groups that describe how rapidly or slowly the disease is progressing:

• Asymptomatic or smoldering myeloma progresses slowly and has no symptoms even though the patient has the disease.
  • This type of myeloma requires monitoring but often no treatment. Patients need to be checked often for signs of progression to fully developed myeloma that requires treatment.
• Symptomatic myeloma has related symptoms such as anemia, kidney damage, and bone disease.

Click here to access myeloma statistics.