Multiple Myeloma – Symptoms of the Cancer

This is a type of cancer which affects the blood and the bone marrow. It is the second most widespread type of blood cancer. The first position of that dubious distinction goes to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The American Cancer Society estimates that 20,180 new cases of multiple myeloma were diagnosed in 2010.

Multiple myeloma symptoms are more prevalent in the African race than the Caucasian race. The cancer develops predominantly in the bone marrow which is the spongy and soft center in a bone where blood cells are produced.

Typically the marrow in the spine, pelvic bones, ribs, shoulders and hips gets afflicted. Myeloma affects the plasma cells that produce antibodies to fight external infection in the body. In multiple myelomanormal plasma cells get turned into malignant and abnormal myeloma cells that produces large amount of an abnormal immunoglobulin. The malignant cells throw out the normal cells and attack the bone to make it soft. This is one of the physical symptoms of the disease.

Physical multiple myeloma symptoms

Multiple myeloma symptoms are seen predominantly on the bones, in the blood and in the kidneys. As described above the bone marrow produces a malignant plasma cell which attacks the bone from within. This results in the softening of the bones. Secondly the malignant cells also prevent the normal process of growth and repair in the bone so a process called osteolytic lesions takes place. This shows up on an x-ray like a hole in the bone.

The malignant cells travel to the blood from the bone marrow. Here they cause all kinds of problems including affecting production of blood cells, reducing white blood cells to cause leucopenia, increasing the risk of infection from external sources, reducing the blood platelet count to cause thrombocytopenia and reducing red blood cells to cause anemia. Basically little by little the cancerous cells keep growing in the blood and the normal blood gets depleted.

17/11/2012  :  HealthWatchCenter

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