Multiple myeloma, which is a cancer of a particular type of white blood cell, is treatable and patient can live longer with proper treatment, said Dr Soumya Surath Panda, HOD, Cancer Department of the SUM Hospital.
White blood cells fight infection in the body and are made in the centre of bones in a part is called the bone marrow. When people have multiple myeloma, the bone marrow, makes too many of these abnormal white blood cells and not enough of the normal blood cells a person’s body needs. This can cause many different symptoms like bone pain or bones that break easily, kidney failure, weight loss, repeated infections, etc, said Panda.
He said symptoms of multiple myeloma can be a medical emergency, sometimes. A doctor will take a very small sample of the bone marrow and will look at the sample under a microscope to see if cancer cells are present. After CT Scans, and/or X-Ray to check where all the cancer cells have spread inside of the body, then treatment is spread. Treatment includes chemotheraphy, steroid medicines and sometimes bone marrow transplant. Treatment does not usually cure the disease, but it can reduce symptoms and help people live longer, opined Panda.