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CancerQuest > Introduction to Patient Information > Introduction to Cancer by Type > Multiple Myeloma: Introduction

Multiple Myeloma: Introduction

Myeloma is a cancer that affects B cells, the immune cells responsible for the production of antibodies. Normal B cells develop in bone marrow. Myeloma therefore affects bones. Multiple myeloma arises when the cancer cells travel through the body and form tumors in several different bones. Affected bones may become brittle as the malignant cells proliferate and alter the chemical equilibrium in the marrow.⁽¹⁾

Watch the full interview with multiple myeloma patient Ginny Johnston.

In 2010, the American Cancer Society estimates that 20,180 new multiple myeloma cases will be diagnosed and 10,650 cancer deaths due to multiple myeloma would occur.⁽²⁾ There are approximately 55,000 people affected in the United States.⁽³⁾Multiple myeloma is the second most common hematologic malignancy in the United States, but it accounts for only about 1% of all cancers.⁽⁴⁾ Multiple myeloma is rarely diagnosed in individuals under the age of 45.⁽¹⁾

Please visit the following sections to learn more about multiple myeloma:

• Immune Cells
• Risk Factors
  
• Symptoms
• Detection and Diagnosis
• Pathology Report and Staging
  
• Tumor Biology
  
• Treatment
• Section Summary
  

References for this page:

1. Chiriva-Internati M, Ferraro R, Prabhakar M, Yu Y, Baggoni L, Moreno J, Gagliano N, Portinaro N, Jenkins MR, Frezza EE, Hardwicke F, D'Cunha N, Kast W, Cobos E. "The pituitary tumor transforming gene 1 (PTTG-1): an immunological target for multiple myeloma." J Transl Med. 2008 Apr 2;6:15. [PUBMED]
2. Cancer Facts and Figures 2010. American Cancer Society. [http://www.cancerquest.org/multimedia/pdf/facts&figures2010.pdf]
3. Katzel JA, Hari P, Vesole DH. "Multiple myeloma: charging toward a bright future." CA Cancer J Clin. 2007 Sep-Oct;57(5):301-18. [PUBMED]
4. Pinto LS, Campagnoli EB, Leon JE, Lopes MA, Jorge J. "Maxillary lesion presenting as a first sign of multiple myeloma: case report." Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2007 Sep 1;12(5):E344-7. [PUBMED]