Multiple myelomaIntroduction

Multiple myeloma (from Greek myelo-, bone marrow), also known as plasma cell myeloma or Kahler's disease (after Otto Kahler), is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell normally responsible for the production of antibodies.

Collections of abnormal cells accumulate in bones, where they cause bone lesions, and in the bone marrow where they interfere with the production of normal blood cells.

Most cases of myeloma also feature the production of a paraprotein, an abnormal antibody that can cause kidney problems and interferes with the production of normal antibodies leading to immunodeficiency. Hypercalcemia (high calcium levels) are often encountered.

The disease develops in 1–4 per 100,000 people per year. It is more common in men, and is twice as common in blacks as it is in whites.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_myeloma

Multiple myelomas are a less frequent cancer site among both sexes. On a worldwide scale, it is estimated that about 86 000 incident cases occur annually, accounting for about 0.8% of all new cancer cases. About 63 000 subjects are reported to die from the disease each year, accounting for 0.9% of all cancer deaths. Geographically, the frequency is very unevenly distributed in the world with the highest incidence in the industrialised regions of Australia / New Zealand, Europe and North America. Incidence and mortality seem to be stable in Asian countries and to increase slowly over the decades among whites in the western countries. The etiology is poorly understood. This depends partly upon the fact that the risk factors which play a major role for malignant diseases in general, such as tobacco consumption and diet have not been found strongly involved into multiple myeloma etiology. Nevertheless, some consistency seems to be in the findings about a risk elevation with obesity and a slightly decreased risk with high fruit consumption. Despite some contradicting results, indications to a role of ionising radiation persist. Finally, infections with HIV and hepatitis C virus appear related to an elevated multiple myeloma risk. Currently, large efforts are undertaken to unravel the etiology of malignant lymphoma including those of multiple myeloma1.

“Multiple myeloma (MM) is a clonal B-cell malignancy characterized by the aberrant expansion of plasma cells within the bone marrow, as well as at extramedullary sites. Decades of scientific research are now beginning to unravel the intricate biology that underlies the pathophysiology of MM. In particular, the roles of cellular differentiation, molecular pathogenesis, and oncogenes involved in the natural history of MM are becoming clearer.”2

Page last edited: 18 July 2011

References

  1. Becker, N. Epidemiology of multiple myeloma. Recent results in cancer research. Fortschritte der Krebsforschung. Progres dans les recherches sur le cancer. 2011; 18325-35.
  2. Mahindra, A. Hideshima, T. Anderson, K. C. Multiple myeloma: biology of the disease. Blood reviews. 2010 Nov; 24 Suppl 1S5-11.