Information needed on Multiple Myeloma

anonymoous

My friend's Mother was Diagnosed with Mutiple Myeloma two months back, with 40% plasma cells & Mband was present in Serum protein electrophoresis report. Recently we have got the test done again & this time M Band was absent. Does this means that, Multiple myeloma is cured or should we go for Bone Marrow Biopsy test again? Is it possible if M band is absent,Multiple myeloma is cured?

jjranchguy

I would have it rechecked.
I would have it rechecked. Multiple Myeloma don't go away. The proteins can be absent, but if not monitored they can return.

The following is from the information on this website.

What is multiple myeloma?
Multiple myeloma is a cancer formed by malignant plasma cells. Normal plasma cells are found in the bone marrow and are an important part of the immune system.

The immune system is composed of several types of cells that work together to fight infections and other diseases. Lymphocytes (lymph cells) are the main cell type of the immune system. There are 2 major types of lymphocytes: T cells and B cells.

When B cells respond to an infection, they mature and change into plasma cells. Plasma cells make the antibodies (also called immunoglobulins) that help the body attack and kill germs. Lymphocytes can be found in many areas of the body, such as lymph nodes, the bone marrow, and the bloodstream. Plasma cells, however, are mainly found in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside some hollow bones.

When plasma cells become cancerous and grow out of control, they can produce a tumor called a plasmacytoma. These tumors generally develop in a bone, but they are also rarely found in other tissues. If there is only a single plasma cell tumor, it is called an isolated (or solitary) plasmacytoma. When there is more than one plasma cell tumor, it is called multiple myeloma.

In multiple myeloma, the overgrowth of plasma cells in the bone marrow can crowd out the normal blood-forming cells, leading to low blood counts. This can cause anemia — a shortage of red blood cells. Anemia causes people to become pale, weak, and fatigued. Multiple myeloma can also cause the level of platelets in the blood to become low (called thrombocytopenia). This can lead to increased bleeding and bruising. Another condition that can develop is leukopenia — a shortage of normal white blood cells. This can lead to problems fighting infections.

Myeloma cells also interfere with cells that help keep the bones strong. Bones are constantly being remade to keep them strong. Two major kinds of bone cells normally work together to keep bones healthy and strong. The cells that lay down new bone are called osteoblasts. The cells that break down old bone are called osteoclasts. Myeloma cells make a substance that tells the osteoclasts to speed up dissolving the bone. Since the osteoblasts do not get a signal to put down new bone, old bone is broken down without new bone to replace it. This makes the bones weak and they break easily. Fractured bones are a major problem in people with myeloma. This increase in bone break-down also causes calcium levels in the blood to get too high (problems caused by high calcium levels are discussed in the section “How is multiple myeloma diagnosed?”).

Abnormal plasma cells do not protect the body from infections. As mentioned before, normal plasma cells produce antibodies that attack germs. For example, if you developed pneumonia, normal plasma cells would produce antibodies that are aimed at the specific bacteria that were causing the illness. These antibodies help the body attack and kill the bacteria. In multiple myeloma, the myeloma cells crowd out the normal plasma cells, so that antibodies to fight the infection can’t be made. The antibody made by the myeloma cells does not help fight infections. That is because the myeloma cells are just many copies of the same plasma cell —- all making copies of the same exact (or monoclonal) antibody.

The antibody made by myeloma cells can harm the kidneys. This can lead to kidney damage and even kidney failure.

Having many copies of the same antibody is known as a monoclonal gammopathy. This condition can be found with a blood test. Having a monoclonal gammopathy does not mean you have multiple myeloma. It occurs in other diseases, such as Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia and light chain amyloidosis. Also, some people have a monoclonal gammopathy but it does not cause problems like multiple myeloma does. This condition is called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Some people with MGUS go on to develop multiple myeloma or other diseases.