he main symptoms of multiple myeloma are bone pain and a high level of calcium in the blood (hypercalcaemia). Symptoms may also include fatigue, a lack of appetite and weakness. Other signs of myeloma are bruising and unusual bleeding, such as nosebleeds and heavy periods. This is because myeloma cells interfere with your bone marrow and cause it not to produce enough healthy blood cells to fight infections. Your body may also not be able to make enough platelets, which help blood to clot.
Doctors treat myeloma with drugs that aim to kill cancer cells and boost your immune system. They can be taken as tablets or injected into a vein (intravenously). Lenalidomide and bortezomib both target myeloma cells and change how your body makes antibodies. They are often given together as a combination drug.
Other drugs that doctors use include chemotherapy, a hormone called interferon and a type of immunotherapy called chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy. This uses versions of your own immune T cells that have been programmed with a disarmed virus to recognise and attack myeloma cells. Your doctor may also give you dexamethasone to reduce the side effects of some other treatments.
A lot of people who have myeloma do not have any symptoms at all. If they do have symptoms, they are usually bone pain and a low blood cell count (anemia).
Bone pain is a common early symptom of myeloma. It can be felt in the back or ribs and is usually constant and gets worse with movement. It can also be felt in other bones such as the hips and knees.
Myeloma can cause a build-up of proteins that damage the bones. This leads to a condition called osteoporosis, which makes the bones weaker and more likely to break. Often the bones that break are the ones closest to the site of myeloma tumours.
People with myeloma are more likely to have a kidney problem called renal osteodystrophy, which can lead to a high calcium level in the blood and kidney failure. They are also more likely to have problems with their nerves, such as a pins-and-needles feeling in the legs and feet.
Scientists don’t know why some people get myeloma, but having a condition called MGUS before you develop myeloma increases your chance of getting it. Your chances of getting myeloma increase as you get older, and it is more common in men than in women.
If you have myeloma, it is important to talk to your GP as soon as possible so that treatment can begin. This can improve your symptoms and prolong your life. You might be asked to have a bone marrow biopsy to check for myeloma before you start treatment. This is a simple test that involves having some of your blood taken and having a small sample of your bone marrow looked at under a microscope. It is also a good idea to join a myeloma support group so that you can meet others who have the disease and share experiences and tips for living with it.
