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If your doctor says you have multiple myeloma, feeling confused and concerned is normal. It sounds just like another type of cancer.

Your doctor may also tell you that your cancer is in advanced stages. That can mean you face a more challenging time treating and curing your cancer.

If your doctor can find myeloma early, you have a better chance of long-term survival. Here’s what you need to know about multiple myeloma and surviving it.

What Is Multiple Myeloma?

People often confuse multiple myeloma with melanoma. But they’re not the same thing.

Melanoma, pronounced “mel-ah-no-ma,” is the deadliest and most aggressive form of skin cancer. It starts in pigment-producing skin cells that lie deep within the skin.

Multiple myeloma cancer is an abnormal growth of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell. That means it’s a type of blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow, the soft part inside certain bones. Your doctor may simply call it myeloma, pronounced: “my-eh-lo-ma.”

Your plasma cells play a vital role in your immune system. They help fight off infections and diseases by making antibodies. When plasma cells work as they should, these antibodies help destroy bacteria and viruses.

Myeloma happens when plasma cells turn cancerous and grow out of control. They also start making abnormal antibodies.

Doctors call these antibodies by several different names, including:

• Monoclonal immunoglobulin.
• Monoclonal protein (M-protein).
• M-spike.
• Paraprotein.

Multiple Myeloma and Long-Term Survival

Multiple myeloma accounts for 10% of all blood cancers, but overall, it’s a rare cancer. It makes up less than 2% of all new cancer cases, with 36,000 people diagnosed each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. It also accounts for 2% of cancer deaths each year.

In most people, doctors find myeloma after it spreads to multiple bone sites or other parts of the body. Ninety-six percent of myeloma cases are metastatic multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma isn’t curable, but treatment can reduce symptoms and slow progression. When multiple myeloma spreads, doctors may have fewer options to help treat you. Current treatments may also not work as well to kill the cancer.

Catching more cases of myeloma at this early stage could have a drastic impact on the overall survival rate.

Despite those grim statistics, there’s some good news from the National Cancer Institute. Over the past decade (from 2013 to 2022), deaths from multiple myeloma have fallen about 2% each year.

Why Early Detection is Key for Multiple Myeloma

Certain people face a higher risk of getting multiple myeloma. Knowing whether you’re at risk may help with multiple myeloma early detection.

You may face a higher risk of multiple myeloma if:

• You have a family history of myeloma — Most people diagnosed with multiple myeloma have no affected relatives, but having a parent or sibling with multiple myeloma increases your risk.
• You have other plasma cell disorders — Benign plasma cell disorders may develop into multiple myeloma.
• You’re Black — Black people are twice as likely to develop multiple myeloma.
• You’re a man — Men face a slightly higher risk than women.
• You’re older — Multiple myeloma tends to affect people starting in their 50s and 60s. Most people with this cancer are at least 65 years old, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
• You’re overweight or obese — According to the ACS, there’s some evidence that having excess weight can increase your overall cancer risk.

Other plasma cell disorders

Other plasma cell disorders also make abnormal plasma cells. However, they don’t cause symptoms. Doctors don’t consider them active multiple myeloma.

These include:

• Light chain amyloidosis — This disorder causes abnormal plasma cell growth but to a lesser degree than multiple myeloma. It can weaken and enlarge the heart. It can cause an irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, and leg swelling. It can also damage the kidneys.
• Monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance — People with this have abnormal plasma cells that make many copies of the same M-protein. These plasma cells, however, don’t make an actual tumor or mass. They also don’t cause any symptoms like multiple myeloma.
• Smoldering multiple myeloma — This is an early type of myeloma without symptoms. You may have signs of multiple myeloma but no symptoms. Your blood tests may show high amounts of plasma cells in your bone marrow, light chains in your urine, or M-protein in your blood.

Doctors can’t prevent multiple myeloma. However, if you’re at an increased risk, they may order regular blood work to monitor your health.

How to Detect Multiple Myeloma Early

Doctors may sometimes find multiple myeloma early when routine blood work shows an abnormally high amount of specific proteins in your blood.

Keep an eye out for symptoms and your risk factors. Make sure your doctor’s aware of these if they pop up.

Multiple myeloma symptoms

Early detection of multiple myeloma is often difficult. When multiple myeloma is in its early stage, it often doesn’t cause any symptoms. Sometimes, the symptoms it does cause are so general they’re easy to miss.

Bone and spine problems

As the cancer grows and spreads, you may feel symptoms related to bone changes. Multiple myeloma can cause problems in your bones and spine.

Common signs and symptoms include:

• Bone pain — Common sites for bone pain are the back, hips, and skull.
• Frequent bone fractures — Tumors can weaken the bones. A minor injury may cause a pathological fracture, meaning the bone broke because it was weak due to another health issue.
• Spinal cord compression — Weakened spinal bones can collapse and press on spinal nerves. It causes sudden, severe back pain, muscle numbness, or weakness in your legs. This is a medical emergency; seek medical help right away.

Blood-related problems

As cancerous plasma cells grow out of control, they don’t leave room for normal blood cells to grow in your bone marrow. A drop in red and white blood cells and platelets can cause symptoms.

These blood changes can sometimes show up on a routine blood test.

These include:

• Anemia — Having fewer red blood cells can cause anemia. You may feel weak, tired, or dizzy. You may also have shortness of breath or trouble breathing during exercise or exertion, such as walking up and down stairs.
• Increased infections — Fewer neutrophils reduce your ability to fight infections. You may notice you get infections, such as pneumonia, more easily, or that your infections last longer. The medical term for this is leukopenia.
• Bleeding or bruising easily — Fewer platelets can increase your risk of serious bleeding from cuts and bruises. The medical term for this is thrombocytopenia.
• Nerve damage — Abnormal myeloma protein can cause a “pins and needles” sensation in your nerves.

Large amounts of myeloma protein can also cause the blood to thicken. This can slow the flow of blood to the brain. The medical term for this is hyperviscosity.

When this happens, you may feel confused or dizzy or have stroke symptoms. If you have any of these symptoms, get medical help. When caught in time, doctors can remove the protein and reverse the damage through plasmapheresis.

Symptoms of high blood calcium

Multiple myeloma can also cause high levels of calcium in your blood, a condition called hypercalcemia.

Symptoms of this include:

• Belly pain.
• Coma, if calcium levels get really high.
• Feeling tired or confused.
• Increased thirst and dehydration.
• Kidney damage or failure. Symptoms of this include itching, weakness, leg swelling, and shortness of breath.
• Loss of appetite.
• More frequent urination.
• Severe constipation.

Learn more about multiple myeloma care at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.