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Early Myeloma Signs & Symptoms

Myeloma is a bone marrow cancer in which your body makes too many plasma blood cells. This new group of cells gathers together and forms tumors. The tumors kill bone cells near them and prevent your body from making other blood cells it needs.

  1. Symptoms

    • Myeloma skeletal symptoms include bone pain in the skull, back, pelvis and long bones. Another symptom is polyneuropathy, which is tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, and muscle weakness in the arms and legs.

    Other Symptoms

    • Other myeloma symptoms include hypercalcemia, which is too much calcium in the blood; anemia, which can cause weakness and dizziness; hyperviscosity, which is resistance to the flow of blood; kidney malfunction; and infections.

    Causes

    • The cause of myeloma is unknown, but it is known to run in families. It is also more common among people older than 60, men, blacks, and agriculture or petroleum-based industry workers.

    Treatment

    • Treatment of myeloma includes pain medicines, the drug prednisone, and chemotherapy drugs such as melphalan, which is used to kill abnormal cells and stop progression of the disease.

    Other Treatment

    • Other treatment may be necessary if prednisone and melphalan don't work. Your doctor may recommend you be treated with radiation or have a bone marrow transplant.

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