The bone marrow is the soft tissue that can be found inside the bones and is responsible for producing blood cells. Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that involves plasma cells, which are white blood cells found in the bone marrow. Plasma cells in the bone marrow produce antibodies, which are proteins that protect the body from infections and other diseases.
Just like the healthy blood cells, the cancerous cells produce antibodies. But, their antibodies are abnormal and are known as monoclonal proteins or M proteins. These are harmful antibodies and their accumulation in the body often causes kidney failure or other severe problems.
Let’s take a look at the symptoms, causes and risk factors for multiple myeloma:
1. Symptoms of multiple myeloma
The symptoms of the condition vary from case to case. In most cases, symptoms may not be visible in the initial phases, making the disease all the more dangerous. But, with the progression of the disease, at least one of the four major types of symptoms start showing up.
The major symptoms of multiple myeloma are often referred to as CRAB, which means,
When myeloma cells affect the bones, they start leaking calcium, which gets mixed with blood. When there is an excessive amount of calcium found in the blood, it often leads to:
Hypercalcemia can also lead to personality changes and confusion, anxiety, poor appetite, vomiting, and constipation.
When cancer cells start spreading to the bone marrow from the bone, bone injuries and fractures start occurring. These fractures look like holes under X-rays and they often lead to bone pain in the back, pelvic area, ribs, and skull.
Some other symptoms of multiple myeloma include:
2. What are the causes of multiple myeloma?
Although the exact cause of multiple myeloma is not known, the presence of abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow that rapidly multiply is often how it starts. The cancerous cells do not behave like normal cells. Instead of having a normal life cycle, they do not die and keep on multiplying incessantly. This eventually leads to the cancerous cells outnumbering the healthy red and white blood cells in the body.
3. What are the risk factors for multiple myeloma?
There are various risk factors for multiple myeloma. Some of them include:
Males are at a higher risk of developing the condition than women.
People over the age of 50 years are at a higher risk of developing it.
Those of African American descent are at higher risk of developing multiple myeloma than those of Caucasian descent.
Coming in contact with radiation or certain types of chemicals like benzene and certain herbicides can cause multiple myeloma and is one of its major risk factors.
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