Multiple myeloma symptoms and prognosis: Brace yourselves as you’re about to tackle the disease condition, multiple myeloma.
What do you mean by Multiple Myeloma?
Multiple myeloma is simply referred to as myeloma. It is a type of cancer that starts in the plasma cells of the bone marrow. These are protein-making cells which normally make all of the different kinds of proteins that comprise the antibodies of the immune system.
The plasma cells undergo what is referred to as a malignant transformation and thereby becomes cancerous, in multiple myeloma. These myeloma cells stop making different forms of protein in response to the immune system’s needs and instead start to produce a single abnormal type of protein referred to as a monoclonal or M protein. Once these abnormal proteins accumulate these will erode the hard outer shell or cortex of the bone that normally surrounds the marrow. These will weaken the bones and show thinning of the bone.
What are the symptoms of Multiple Myeloma?
According to research, multiple myeloma prognosis as well as survival rates have improved. The prognosis of multiple myeloma is usually based on the existence of the various symptoms of the disease. The prognosis of myeloma is also dependent on the stage of the disease as determined by the results of diagnostic testing.
Doctors often use survival rates as a standard way of discussing a person’s prognosis (outlook). Survival rates are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had the disease, but they cannot predict what will happen in any particular person’s case. Many other factors can affect the outlook, such as your age and general health, the treatment received, and how well the cancer responds to treatment.
Now you know about the things you need to know about multiple myeloma symptoms and prognosis, the sooner it’s diagnosed and treated, the better the outlook.
Image Credits: samadimb, asiancancer
