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Multple Myeloma Resources

What Is Multiple Myeloma? (pronounced my-uh-low-muh) Multiple Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma (white blood) cells, adversely affecting the immune system's ability to fight infection and disease.

  • What effect does Multiple Myeloma have on your body? Multiple Myeloma damages your kidneys, causes excessive fatigue and confusion, reoccurring infections such as pneumonia, nervous system dysfunction, and bodily pain resulting from tiny bone fractures.
  • What treatment is available for Mutliple Myeloma patients? The treatments currently available are chemotherapy and stem cell transplant followed by long term drug therapy.
  • What is the long term prognosis for Multiple Myeloma patients? Despite many advances in treatment, there is currently no cure for Multiple Myeloma.

Multiple Myeloma accounts for only 1% of all cancers, but its impact on people's lives is greater than the statistics imply. Each day, 50,000 Americans live with Multiple Myeloma. Each year, 19,000 people will be diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, and 12,000 will die from it. Because Multiple Myeloma accounts for a relatively low proportion of cancer diagnoses, funding for Multiple Myeloma research is low compared to funding for other forms of cancer. However, increased public awareness and research support from organizations such as Tackle Cancer Foundation is encouraging higher levels of research.

There is currently no cure for Multiple Myeloma, but recent Multiple Myeloma research has discovered new and effective treatments that lengthen remission periods, increase survival rates, and improve the quality of life for Multiple Myeloma patients. These promising new therapies help Multiple Myeloma patients live longer, healthier lives.


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