What is Multiple Myeloma?
Multiple myeloma is a rare blood cancer that forms in your plasma cells. Plasma cells are a type of white blood cell that helps you fight infections by making antibodies called immunoglobulins that recognize and attack germs. In multiple myeloma, cancerous plasma cells multiply rapidly and accumulate in the bone marrow, crowding healthy blood cells and reducing their production. Rather than produce helpful antibodies, the cancer cells produce an abnormal antibody called a monoclonal protein (m protein) that can cause complications.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of multiple myeloma isn't clear and no avoidable risk factors have been determined. It begins with one abnormal plasma cell in the bone marrow—the soft, blood-producing tissue that fills in the center of most of your bones. Risk factors may include:
- Age: Most people are diagnosed in their mid-60s.
- Gender: Men are slightly more likely to be diagnosed than women.
- Race: African Americans are diagnosed at twice the rate of white people.
- Family History: Your risk is four times higher if a close family member (parent or sibling) has multiple myeloma. This, however, is rare.
- Plasma Cell Disorders:
- Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) are abnormal proteins/antibodies found in the blood.
- Solitary plasmacytoms, an early-stage plasma malignancy that is between MGUS and multiple myeloma.
- Smoldering myeloma, a precancerous condition of the plasma cells that may develop into multiple myeloma.
The GW Cancer Center’s multidisciplinary Malignant Hematology team provides treatments to slow the progress of the disease and help people with a multiple myeloma diagnosis live as long as possible while maintaining quality of life.