Myeloma Treatment Problems

Myeloma has two forms, stable and not. If you are diagnosed with stable myeloma, your doctor will monitor the disease but will not suggest any treatment plan. If your myeloma is not stable, then your doctor will work with you to create a treatment plan. Depending on which form of treatment you choose, you may experience some additional health problems.

Myeloma

• Myeloma is a form of cancer called a neoplasm. It is characterized by the way it causes your body to produce too many plasma cells. These cells are usually abnormal and cannot perform the usual tasks of plasma cells. They build up in your bone marrow and crowd out normally functioning cells. Myeloma cells can also weaken your bones. Symptoms include bone pain and bones that break easily, frequent infections, fatigue and bleeding easily.

Treatment Options

• Treatment options for myeloma include stem cells transplants, chemotherapy and other drug therapies. If you are a good candidate for a transplant, it will probably be a bone marrow transplant. Chemotherapy can be used on its own or in combination with other drugs. Those other drugs often include steroids and growth factors. All these myeloma treatment options can cause side effects and problems.

Treatment Problems

• Myeloma treatment problems depend on the form of treatment you receive. If you undergo a bone marrow transplant, you could develop serious infections, anemia and fatigue after the procedure. Chemotherapy can cause side effects including nausea, hair loss and even infertility. Steroids can cause problems with weight gain, swelling in your hands and feet and serious stomach discomfort. Some drugs used to help treat myeloma can cause you to develop blood clots.

Addressing Problems

• Your doctor can address health problems caused by treatment of your myeloma. She can prescribe antibiotics if you develop an infection. For problems with anemia, blood or platelet transfusions can help. After you finish chemotherapy, your hair will grow back without further treatment. If you are concerned about fertility problems after ending treatment, storing sperm or eggs for use in the future is a viable option. Medications are available to counteract the negative effects of steroids. Your doctor can prescribe medication to prevent blood clots, too.

Considerations

• Most of the problems you can experience while undergoing treatment for myeloma are temporary. As soon as you finish treatment, the problems will begin to fade. It is important to talk to your doctor about any side effects you experience as some can be serious if left untreated. Because myeloma has a high frequency of reoccurrence, knowing how treatments affect you can help your doctor better form a treatment strategy if your myeloma returns.