Table of Contents
- 1 How long can you have multiple myeloma and not know it?
- 2 Has anyone ever survived multiple myeloma?
- 3 How does multiple myeloma make you feel?
- 4 Do you sleep a lot with myeloma?
- 5 When should you suspect multiple myeloma?
- 6 Is myeloma hereditary?
- 7 Where does multiple myeloma start?
- 8 Is it normal to feel anxious after multiple myeloma?
How long can you have multiple myeloma and not know it?
Some people have multiple myeloma for months or years before they even know they’re sick. This earliest phase is called smoldering multiple myeloma. When you have it, you won’t have any symptoms, but your test results will show: At least 10\% to 59\% of your bone marrow is made up of cancerous plasma cells.
Has anyone ever survived multiple myeloma?
Survival rates tell you what percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer are still alive a certain amount of time (usually 5 years) after they were diagnosed….5-year relative survival rates for multiple myeloma.
| SEER Stage | 5-year relative survival rate |
|---|---|
| All SEER stages combined | 54\% |
How does multiple myeloma make you feel?
You might feel: Sudden, severe back pain. Numbness or weakness, often in your legs. Muscle weakness, often in your legs.
What is life like with multiple myeloma?
“I have seen patients live from several weeks to more than 20 years after being diagnosed,” Dr. Hillengass says. Multiple myeloma is a cancer of cells of the immune system which can cause symptoms like holes in the bones (osteolytic lesions), kidney failure, low blood counts and high calcium in the blood.
Does multiple myeloma run in families?
Family history Multiple myeloma seems to run in some families. Someone who has a sibling or parent with myeloma is more likely to get it than someone who does not have this family history. Still, most patients have no affected relatives, so this accounts for only a small number of cases.
Do you sleep a lot with myeloma?
Multiple myeloma can lower your body’s supply of white blood cells, which protect you from infections. It might make you feel more tired, too.
When should you suspect multiple myeloma?
Your Doctor May Suspect Multiple Myeloma Before You Do Low red blood cell counts, white blood cell counts, and platelet counts, which are common in multiple myeloma. High levels of calcium in your blood, called hypercalcemia. Abnormal proteins in your blood or urine.
Is myeloma hereditary?
Although the mutations that cause myeloma are acquired and not inherited, family history is a known risk factor for multiple myeloma. First-degree relatives of people with multiple myeloma have a 2 to 3 times higher risk of developing the disease. First-degree relatives are parents, siblings, and children.
How do you know if you have multiple myeloma?
Sometimes people with multiple myeloma don’t have any symptoms until it is worse. When symptoms do happen, they can include bone pain, being sick to your stomach, not feeling like eating, feeling very tired, , losing a lot of weight , and getting sick a lot. The doctor will ask you questions about your health and do a physical exam.
Can you get other cancers after multiple myeloma?
People who’ve had multiple myeloma can still get other cancers. In fact, multiple myeloma survivors are at higher risk for getting some other types of cancer. Learn more in Second Cancers After Multiple Myeloma. Some amount of feeling depressed, anxious, or worried is normal when multiple myeloma is a part of your life.
Where does multiple myeloma start?
Cancer can start any place in the body. Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that starts in plasma cells, which are in the bone marrow — the soft, inner part of some bones.
Is it normal to feel anxious after multiple myeloma?
In fact, multiple myeloma survivors are at higher risk for getting some other types of cancer. Learn more in Second Cancers After Multiple Myeloma. Some amount of feeling depressed, anxious, or worried is normal when multiple myeloma is a part of your life.