Several factors can increase your risk of Myeloma, including:

• Age, Race, and Gender
  The risk of Myeloma increases with age. It is twice as common in individuals of African origin than of Asian and Caucasian origins. The incidence of this disease is 1.5 times higher in men than in women.

• Family History
  People having a parent, sibling, or child with Myeloma are nearly two times more likely to develop it compared to the general population.

• Personal History
  A history of MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance) can increase the risk of Myeloma.

• Exposure to toxic elements
  Repeated exposure to toxic elements such as radiation, agricultural chemicals, and petrochemicals increases the risk of Myeloma.

• Obesity
  Obesity is a common risk factor for several forms of cancers, including Myeloma.

• Frequent infections. Myeloma cells stop your body from fighting infections effectively.
• Bone Damage. Myeloma cells can interfere with the normal process of bone maintenance and cause bone problems such as bone pain, thin and broken bones.
• Higher calcium levels in the blood related to eroding bones. The symptoms of high calcium are thirst, nausea, vomiting, confusion and constipation.
• Kidney damage. The abnormal protein produced by myeloma cells can damage the kidneys, as can high calcium levels.
• Low red blood cell count (anaemia). As myeloma cells result in the crowding of healthy blood cells, it can also cause anaemia and other blood problems.

In addition to treating Myeloma, the doctor may also need to treat the complications of Myeloma.

• Bone pain. Pain relief medication, radiation therapy and surgery may alleviate bone pain.
• Bone loss. The doctor may recommend medications called bisphosphonates, such as pamidronate or zoledronic acid. These help to prevent bone loss.
• Kidney complications. Dialysis may be required for people with severe kidney failure.
• Infections. Certain vaccines may be recommended to prevent infections such as the flu and pneumonia vaccinations.
• Anaemia. If the anaemia is persistent and severe, medication such as erythropoietin, or blood transfusions may be given to increase the red blood cell count.

Both an x-ray and an MRI scan are often used to diagnose bone involvement by multiple Myeloma. They may show features that are suggestive of Myeloma involvement, however we cannot fully diagnose Myeloma based on radiological changes alone.

While Myeloma is not inherited in the same manner diseases such as breast cancer are, which is often from a single gene. There is a slightly higher occurrence of Myeloma within family members when compared to the entire population, but presently, the inheritance pattern of Myeloma is unknown.

Since Myeloma affects the bones, many patients experience weakness and pain. However, weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, can aid in strengthening the bones. Patients should always consult with our doctors before attempting a new workout routine and if they experience pain or notice a change in their symptoms.

Myeloma is often a slowly progressing disorder initially and in the initial phases patients may not notice any symptoms.

However, some forms of more aggressive Myeloma can be rapidly progressive, in particular in patients with heavily pretreated Myeloma, or refractory forms of Myeloma.

If multiple Myeloma is left untreated, it can lead to excess amounts of protein. This can eventually lead to kidney damage or failure, or other complications such bone involvement and fractures. If you are suffering from symptoms of Myeloma, speak to our doctors and seek treatment early.

Myeloma is a serious medical condition and the diagnosis and its associated symptoms often have an impact on the quality of life of patients.

That being said, there have been significant improvements in the treatment of Myeloma. Most initial treatments are outpatient based, with manageable side-effects, and many patients are able to continue with their daily activities.

The life expectancy of someone diagnosed with Myeloma depends on the stage of their Myeloma, and in addition prognostic markers such as the presence of poor risk or good risk genetic abnormalities will influence the outcomes.

The diagnosis and monitoring of Myeloma during treatment has become increasingly sophisticated, and we are now able to detect presence of Myeloma at very low levels in the bone marrow (known as detecting minimal residual disease – MRD). Patients who are able to attain MRD negativity with Myeloma treatment have a significantly improved overall survival.

In general, for Myeloma patients at diagnosis, around 50% of patients will be alive and well at 5 years. However, these numbers do not factor in all variables, such as age and overall health. Additionally, treatment options for Myeloma are continuously improving. Speak to our doctor for a better understanding of the success rates of your treatment plan.

Chemotherapy drugs can be taken orally as pills or administered as an injection into a vein in your arm.

Corticosteroids regulate the immune system functions and control inflammation in the body. Steroids have anti-myeloma effects and can trigger the death of Myeloma cells.

Immunotherapy works by stimulating your immune system to fight against Myeloma cells.

Targeted therapy targets specific abnormalities in cancer cells which enable them to survive. It inhibits the action of substances in Myeloma cells which break down proteins. This causes Myeloma cells to die.

Radiation therapy uses beams of energy to destroy Myeloma cells and prevent further growth. It is able to shrink Myeloma cells quickly in a specific area to alleviate bone pain in Myeloma patients.

Patients with multiple Myeloma typically receive an autologous stem cell transplantation as consolidation after they have completed their initial induction phase of chemotherapy.

The response to an autologous stem cell transplantation depends on the disease risk stage of the underlying Myeloma, as well as whether a complete remission is attained before transplantation.

Outcomes are improving significantly for patients with Myeloma. However, the autologous stem cell transplantation is not curative in most cases and rather serves to extend the duration of remission for treated patients.

CAR T-cell therapy is a form of immunotherapy that involves collecting a patient’s immune cells and modifying them in a laboratory to target against Myeloma cancer cells. These modified cells are then returned into the patient to strengthen their immune system against the Myeloma cancer cells.

While there is, unfortunately, no cure for multiple Myeloma currently, treatment such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, amongst others, can be used to successfully manage the condition for years. 

With the introduction of novel drug therapies, as well as the use of 3-4 drug combinations for upfront treatment of Myeloma, the majority of newly diagnosed Myeloma patients are able to achieve a partial or complete response to initial therapy.

Many of these patients will eventually relapse over time. Treatment strategies such as the use of autologous stem cell transplantation, as well as the use of longer term maintenance therapy have been adopted successfully to delay the time to relapse (ie. prolong the disease free interval)  

These approaches do not factor in variables such as age and overall health. Speak to our doctor for a better understanding of the success rates of your treatment plan.

The cost of Myeloma therapy varies significantly depending on the drugs used for treatment, as well as whether additional therapies such as a bone marrow transplantation are needed.

Factors such as disease stage, age of the patient and additional medical conditions (such as diabetes, or heart disease or kidney failure) all need to be considered in determining the most appropriate treatment for patients.

Do speak to our doctors about your Myeloma treatment plan and our team will help to advise on the treatment options as well as the costs of the treatment.