March is Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month

March is Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month. Each year, more than 35,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

Click here to learn more about Multiple Myeloma

What Is Multiple Myeloma?

Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that affects blood plasma cells. Blood cells such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are produced in the bone marrow, which is the soft, spongy interior of bones. Plasma cells are a type of white blood cell that produce specific proteins called antibodies to help the body fight disease and infection.

In multiple myeloma, malignant plasma cells multiply uncontrollably in the bone marrow. These myeloma cells can collect in the bones and soft tissues of the body, forming tumors called plasmacytomas, which can cause bone erosion. Myeloma cells can crowd out healthy blood cells in the bone marrow and interfere with normal blood cell production, leading to conditions such as anemia (low red blood cells), leukopenia (low white blood cells), and thrombocytopenia (low platelets).

Myeloma cells can also interfere with the cells that keep bones strong and healthy, causing bone pain, weakened bones, and lytic lesions (soft spots on bones). Thus, people with multiple myeloma commonly have weak bones and an increased risk of fracture compared to healthy people. This bone damage may increase the level of calcium in the blood, leading to a condition known as hypercalcemia.