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Multiple myeloma, also known as myeloma or plasma cell myeloma, is a progressive hematologic (blood) cancer of the plasma cell (a type of B lymphocyte), an important part of the immune system that produces immunoglobulins (antibodies) to help fight infection and disease. Clinical manifestations of multiple myeloma include hypercalcemia, anemia, renal damage, increased susceptibility to bacterial infection, and impaired production of normal immunoglobulin. The disease also is characterized by diffuse osteoporosis (bone destruction), usually in the pelvis, spine, ribs and skull.
Multiple myeloma is the second most prevalent blood cancer after non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, representing approximately 1 percent of all cancers and 2 percent of all cancer deaths. The median age at diagnosis is about 71 years, and only 2 percent of cases are diagnosed in individuals under the age of 45. Statistics indicate both increasing incidence and earlier age of onset of multiple myeloma. Approximately 50,000 Americans currently have multiple myeloma, and the American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 15,980 new cases of multiple myeloma will be diagnosed in 2005.
The average 5-year survival rate for patients diagnosed with the disease is about 30 percent; young patients fare better than the elderly. In addition to drugs that inhibit the destruction of bone, conventional treatment for multiple myeloma involves chemotherapy and corticosteroids. High dose chemotherapy followed by bone marrow transplantation provides an added therapeutic benefit. Nevertheless, 50 percent to 75 percent of patients see their cancer return within two to three years, and eventually almost all patients become resistant to therapy. Treatment then focuses on complications or supportive care. However, new therapies and treatment may offer better outcomes in the future.
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Associations and Societies Professional organizations committed to research, development, and education in the diagnosis and treatment of solid-tumor cancers and/or hematological neoplasms.
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©XOMA 2008