Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that strikes the plasma cells in a patient's bone marrow. The bone tumors of multiple myeloma harm the immune system and reduce the bone marrow's ability to produce several different types of blood cells, including red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells. Doctors usually treat multiple myeloma with chemotherapy treatment and a combination of several drugs.
Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma can cause bone pain and loss of bone. Individuals with this disease are more susceptible to infections and have an increased risk of bleeding. Fever, unexplained fractures and weakness of the legs and arms may occur in multiple myeloma patients. This disease is more likely to develop in older people and individuals who have received radiation therapy. Doctors may use X-rays, bone marrow biopsies and several blood tests to diagnose multiple myeloma.
Stem Cell Combination Treatment
Physicians may use a combination of stem cell transplantation, chemotherapy and drug therapy to treat multiple myeloma patients, according to the Mayo Clinic. Initial treatment includes bortezomib or lenalidomide combined with dexamethasone to kill multiple myeloma cancer cells. Doctors collect stem cells from a patient and transplant them after the initial drug treatment to improve healthy blood cell production. Melphalan is a chemotherapy drug that may be used after stem cell transplantation to destroy multiple myeloma cells.
Other Combination Treatments
Multiple myeloma patients who are not healthy enough to undergo stem cell transplantation may receive a potent chemotherapy drug combination for initial treatment, including melphalan, thalidomide and prednisone. Chemotherapy drugs may cause serious side effects, such as fatigue, vomiting and easy bruising. Patients may receive a combination of lenalidomide and dexamethasone if other drugs cause serious side effects.
Additional Myeloma Treatments
Doctors may use radiation therapy to shrink multiple myeloma cells in a targeted area of bone. Patients may use a back brace or pain medication to manage back pain from this disease. Physicians may prescribe bisphosphonate drugs such as zoledronic acid or pamidronate to stop bone loss. Individuals with anemia from multiple myeloma may receive a drug to stimulate red blood cell production, such as erythropoietin.
Complications
Multiple myeloma patients may develop serious complications, including kidney failure. Kidney failure usually is treated with kidney dialysis to remove wastes from a patient's blood. Dangerously high levels of calcium may accumulate in the blood of patients with multiple myeloma. Bone tumors from this disease may press on nerves and cause paralysis. People with multiple myeloma may be more susceptible to developing pneumonia. Patients should get prompt medical help if they notice numbness, loss of sensation or a developing infection.
Tags: myeloma patients, blood cells, bone marrow, cell transplantation, chemotherapy drug