A Comprehensive Look at Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma occurs when plasma cells (a white blood-cell that fights infection and disease) become cancerous. Cancer cells accumulate in bone marrow and crowd out healthy cells. Cancer cells instead of making helpful antibodies produce abnormal proteins which can lead to complications. This is a rare type of cancer that has a significant impact on the people affected.
Understand Multiple Myeloma - Facts and figures
Multiple Myeloma is not as common as some other cancers but it's impact should never be understated. The American Cancer Society estimates that 34,920 cases of Multiple Myeloma will be diagnosed in America in 2021. This disease has a lifetime average risk of 1 in 132 (0, 76% ). The disease is more prevalent in African Americans and men.
Multiple Myeloma: Common Causes
Although the cause of the disease is unknown, there are several factors that can increase your risk. These include:
- The majority of people with multiple myeloma develop the disease after 60 years old.
- The disease is slightly more common in men.
- Blacks are twice as likely to develop multiple myeloma as people of other races.
- Overweight or obesity: Obese people are at a greater risk for developing multiple myeloma.
- Radiation: Exposed to radiation, the risk for multiple myeloma increases.
Common Treatments of Multiple Myeloma
The choice of treatment depends on a patient's health overall and their stage of the disease. Treatments include:
- Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cells that divide rapidly, such as cancerous cells.
- The drugs are designed to target the cancer cells and minimize harm to healthy cells.
- Immunotherapy is a treatment that helps the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells.
- Stem Cell Transplant: This is a procedure that replaces diseased bone-marrow by healthy bone-marrow.
- Radiation Therapy: High-powered beams of energy are used to destroy cancerous cells.
Multiple Myeloma: Expert opinions
Early detection and treatment can improve the prognosis of a multiple myeloma patient. This is a consensus among researchers and clinicians. A study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that patients with autologous transplants had a survival rate of more than 7 years. This is significantly higher than for those without this treatment. Experts also stress the need for individualized treatments, since what is best can vary depending on each person's genetic makeup and their disease characteristics.
Prevention and Natural Remedies
There is no way to completely prevent the disease, but certain lifestyle choices can reduce your risk. They include:
- Weight management: How to maintain a healthy body weight
- A diet high in vegetables, fruits and whole grains
- Regular exercise
- Limit your exposure to harmful chemicals and radiation
Always consult your healthcare professional before you make any significant changes to the health regime.
Multiple myeloma, in conclusion, is a complex and serious disease which requires an integrated approach to its treatment. Patients must understand this complex disease and its risk factors, as well as the treatment options that are available. Although there is no cure currently for multiple myeloma but advances in medical research , and new therapies offer hope that patient outcomes will improve in the near future. This review provides a comprehensive overview of multiple myeloma, which can help you better understand, manage, and possibly prevent this type of cancer. .