Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma, also called myeloma, is a blood cancer that affects a type of white blood cells called plasma cells. It can be difficult to detect early because the early symptoms could be symptoms of many kinds of diseases.

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Multiple myeloma, sometimes simply referred to as myeloma, is cancer that begins in the plasma cells, which are a type of white blood cell.

Multiple myeloma begins in the bone marrow — the soft, spongy tissue that fills the center of bones. Bone marrow is where blood cells such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are made.

Patients with multiple myeloma develop an excessive number of abnormal plasma cells in their bone marrow. These cancerous plasma cells multiply in the marrow and crowd out normal, healthy blood cells. This buildup of myeloma cells can lead to various medical problems and complications, like a reduction in blood cell production, damage to the surrounding bones, organ damage, and problems with blood clotting and circulation.

There is currently no cure for the majority of multiple myeloma patients. However, it is a treatable disease, and many patients are able to live fulfilling lives for 10 years or more after being diagnosed if treated with the best available therapies.

Expert, personalized multiple myeloma care

At University of Iowa Health Care Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, we provide a team-based, personalized approach to cancer care that puts you at the center of a group of multiple myeloma specialists. This includes genetic counselors who specialize in cancer who can help guide you to find the right genetic tests for your care.

Together, our multidisciplinary team of experts will work to create a treatment plan tailored specifically to you using the most advanced, evidence-based therapies available, including clinical trials of promising new treatments that are not yet available.

Risk factors for multiple myeloma

There is no known cause of multiple myeloma, but it starts with an abnormal plasma cell that multiplies and eventually crowds out healthy cells in the bone marrow.

However, there are certain factors that make a person more likely to have this disease, including:

Age. Multiple myeloma most often affects older adults.
Sex. Men are 50% more likely than women to develop multiple myeloma.
Race. Myeloma is twice as common in African Americans than in Caucasians, and the risk of developing multiple myeloma is lowest among Asian Americans.
Obesity. Overweight or obese individuals have a greater risk of developing multiple myelomas.
Plasma disorders like MGUS. Some people with plasma disorders like MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance) or a solitary plasmacytoma can eventually develop multiple myeloma.

Signs and symptoms of multiple myeloma

In the early stages of multiple myeloma, symptoms may be vague and resemble other conditions.

As the disease progresses, some of the following symptoms can occur, including:

Bone disease. Tiny fractures make bones weak and easier to break. These fractures also cause pain in the lower back, pelvis, ribs, and skull.
Hypercalcemia. A buildup of calcium in the blood can cause kidney damage, fatigue, muscle weakness, loss of appetite, nausea, and confusion.
Anemia. A lack of growth of red blood cells causes extreme tiredness, weakness, and dizziness.
Infections. A reduction in white blood cells weakens the immune system and makes it harder for the body to recover from conditions such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and shingles.
Nervous system complications. Deteriorating bones can irritate nerves, causing severe pain, numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness.
Spinal cord compression. One of the most severe effects of myeloma is compression of the spinal cord, causing nerve damage.
Thickening of blood. The abnormal proteins produced by myeloma cells can cause a dangerous thickening of the blood that results in bruising, nose bleeds, gastrointestinal bleeding, hazy vision, confusion, numbness, chest pain, and shortness of breath.

How multiple myeloma is diagnosed

Many cases of multiple myeloma are now discovered during a routine blood test, when protein levels are found to be elevated and myeloma is suspected.

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Treatments for multiple myeloma

As home to Iowa’s only stem cell transplant and cellular therapy program, Holden offers tandem autologous transplant treatment for multiple myeloma patients.

Tandem autologous transplant treatment involves two stem cell transplants done within six months of each other. This treatment process leads to remission in about 80% of multiple myeloma patients. Many patients live fulfilling lives for 10 years or more after receiving this treatment.

In addition to stem cell transplant, your treatment plan may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, CAR T-cell therapy, and medication. We also offer clinical trials, which are research studies that test the latest treatments and drugs that are not yet available to the public.

Your multidisciplinary care team will work together to choose the best treatment options for you and your cancer. Together, they will create a personalized treatment plan to address your needs.