What is multiple myeloma (MM)?
Multiple myeloma ( MM ), also known as plasma cell myeloma and simply myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibodies. Often, no symptoms are noticed initially.
What are the treatment options for active multiple myeloma?
Active (symptomatic) myeloma. If the areas of damaged bone continue to cause symptoms, radiation therapy may be used. Patients with multiple myeloma also receive supportive treatments, such as transfusions to treat low blood cell counts, and antibiotics and sometimes intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for infections.
How does multiple myeloma affect the kidneys?
Multiple myeloma may cause problems with kidney function, including kidney failure. Higher calcium levels in the blood related to eroding bones can interfere with your kidneys’ ability to filter your blood’s waste.
How common is multiple myeloma in people with MGUS?
Each year, about 1 percent of people with MGUS develop multiple myeloma or a related cancer. MGUS, like multiple myeloma, is marked by the presence of M proteins — produced by abnormal plasma cells — in your blood. However, in MGUS, the levels of M proteins are lower and no damage to the body occurs.
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a clonal plasma cell proliferative disorder characterized by primary infiltration of bone marrow and excessive production of abnormal immunoglobulin.
What is the role of radiological imaging in multiple myeloma?
The role of radiological imaging in multiple myeloma is essentially three fold: in the initial staging of the disease, in the detection and characterisation of complications, and in the evaluation of patient’s response to treatment. 2. The Biology of Myeloma Bone Disease
What are diagnostic criteria for smoldering multiple myeloma (MM)?
Diagnostic criteria for smoldering MM are as follows: Serum monoclonal protein: IgG or IgA ≥3 g/dL, or Bence-Jones protein ≥500 mg/24 h and/or Clonal bone marrow plasma cells 10%–60% and Absence of myeloma-defining events or amyloidosis
What is the prevalence of extraosseous multiple myeloma?
Extraosseous myeloma refers to any manifestation of multiple myeloma where there is plasma cell proliferation outside the skeleton. The overall incidence is thought to be ~10% (range 5-16%) of those diagnosed with myeloma 3,7,8. It is considered to be more common in younger patients and in those with non-secretory myeloma and IgD myeloma 3.
