What Are the Symptoms of Multiple Myeloma?
Multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms in a type of white blood cells called plasma cells. The disease causes cancer to build up in the bone marrow, which then pushes out healthy blood cells. This is a relatively uncommon type of blood cancer; the American Cancer Society estimates that 30,770 new cases of multiple myeloma will be diagnosed in the United States in 2018. We asked Dr. Nina Shah, a hematologist at UCSF Medical Center, to discuss some of the symptoms of multiple myeloma, and what happens when a person thinks they may have the disease.
“It’s very common for someone to say, ‘You know, I’ve been feeling very tired,” or ‘You know, I notice I had a few more infections last winter than I remember,'” Dr. Shah says. “But at the first sign of something abnormal, it’s important to then take that to the next step and say, ‘OK, what am I missing? Is there something else maybe that could be causing this?’ And that’s often when we see a diagnosis of multiple myeloma.”
Bone problems, like pain or weakness in the back, hips, or skull are also symptoms to look out for with multiple myeloma. After a diagnosis, Dr. Shah says the first step would be to have your blood checked for a level of protein as well as the blood count. There are several other tests doctors will likely perform, including a DNA test. “The DNA is so important because it helps to put people in categories of risk. Once we know that, we’re able to understand how severe the disease is and what we can do to treat it,” Dr. Shah says.
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Multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms in a type of white blood cells called plasma cells. The disease causes cancer to build up in the bone marrow, which then pushes out healthy blood cells. This is a relatively uncommon type of blood cancer; the American Cancer Society estimates that 30,770 new cases of multiple myeloma will be diagnosed in the United States in 2018. We asked Dr. Nina Shah, a hematologist at UCSF Medical Center, to discuss some of the symptoms of multiple myeloma, and what happens when a person thinks they may have the disease.
“It’s very common for someone to say, ‘You know, I’ve been feeling very tired,” or ‘You know, I notice I had a few more infections last winter than I remember,'” Dr. Shah says. “But at the first sign of something abnormal, it’s important to then take that to the next step and say, ‘OK, what am I missing? Is there something else maybe that could be causing this?’ And that’s often when we see a diagnosis of multiple myeloma.”
Bone problems, like pain or weakness in the back, hips, or skull are also symptoms to look out for with multiple myeloma. After a diagnosis, Dr. Shah says the first step would be to have your blood checked for a level of protein as well as the blood count. There are several other tests doctors will likely perform, including a DNA test. “The DNA is so important because it helps to put people in categories of risk. Once we know that, we’re able to understand how severe the disease is and what we can do to treat it,” Dr. Shah says.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.