Table of Contents
What were your first symptoms of multiple myeloma?
Symptoms
- Bone pain, especially in your spine or chest.
- Nausea.
- Constipation.
- Loss of appetite.
- Mental fogginess or confusion.
- Fatigue.
- Frequent infections.
- Weight loss.
What does pain from multiple myeloma feel like?
Multiple myeloma can cause pain in affected bones – usually the back, ribs or hips. The pain is frequently a persistent dull ache, which may be made worse by movement.
How do you beat multiple myeloma?
Treatments for myeloma
- Targeted therapy. Targeted drug treatments focus on specific weaknesses present within cancer cells.
- Immunotherapy. Immunotherapy uses your immune system to fight cancer.
- Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
- Corticosteroids.
- Bone marrow transplant.
- Radiation therapy.
What are the symptoms of Stage 2 multiple myeloma?
Classification of stage 2 multiple myeloma occurs with test results that are between the levels expected for stage 1 and stage 3. Stage 2 indicates the progression of the cancer. A person may start to experience symptoms, such as bone pain, loss of appetite, and fatigue.
Does multiple myeloma affect the bowels?
Conclusions. Multiple myeloma has myriad presentations. Gastrointestinal involvement, although rare, can manifest as small bowel obstruction for which early recognition and appropriate surgical management are key to improving outcome.
Is fatigue a symptom of multiple myeloma?
Fatigue related to cancer is a symptom of myeloma and is thought to be caused by changes in cellular physiology. As myeloma cells die, they release cytokines, which are substances that upset the normal chemical balance in the body. This effect can be amplified when treatments accelerate the rate of myeloma cell death.
Does multiple myeloma run in families?
The majority of people with multiple myeloma do not have a family history of the disease. Inherited genetic variations could increase a person’s chance of developing the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, multiple myeloma is more than twice as common for African Americans than white Americans — but it’s not clear why.
How is multiple myeloma diagnosed and treated?
The tests will help to determine your myeloma sub-type and how best to treat it. Results of any single test are not enough to make a diagnosis of multiple myeloma. Diagnosis is based on a combination of factors, including the patient’s description of symptoms, the doctor’s physical examination and the results of a variety of tests.
How do you know if you have multiple myeloma?
The diagnosis of multiple myeloma requires either: At least 10\% of the cells in the bone marrow be plasma cells. Holes in bones due to tumor growth are found on imaging studies. This term used to mean early myeloma that is not causing any symptoms or problems.
What is a bone marrow biopsy for multiple myeloma?
Bone marrow biopsy. Those with multiple myeloma have too many plasma cells in their bone marrow. The procedure to check the bone marrow is called a bone marrow biopsy and aspiration. It can be either done at the doctor’s office or at the hospital.