On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• No links available

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Patient Handouts

Summary

Multiple myeloma is a cancer that begins in plasma cells, a type of white blood cell. These cells are part of your immune system, which helps protect the body from germs and other harmful substances. In time, myeloma cells collect in the bone marrow and in the solid parts of bones.

No one knows the exact causes of multiple myeloma, but it is more common in older people and African Americans. It can run in families. Common symptoms may include:

• Bone pain, often in the back or ribs
• Fractures (broken bones)
• Weakness or fatigue
• Weight loss
• Frequent infections and fevers
• Feeling very thirsty
• Frequent urination

Doctors diagnose multiple myeloma using lab tests, imaging tests, and a bone marrow biopsy. Your treatment depends on how advanced the disease is and whether you have symptoms. If you have no symptoms, you may not need treatment right away. If you have symptoms, you may have chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation, radiation, or targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Start Here

• General Information about Plasma Cell Neoplasms (Including Multiple Myeloma) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Multiple Myeloma (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Multiple Myeloma: Patient Handbook (International Myeloma Foundation) - PDF
• Myeloma (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) - PDF
• Understanding Multiple Myeloma (Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation)
• What Is Multiple Myeloma? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Symptoms

• Multiple Myeloma Symptoms and Causes (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Beta 2 Microglobulin (B2M) Tumor Marker Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Blood Count Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Bone Marrow Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Can Multiple Myeloma Be Found Early? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Free Light Chains (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Protein Electrophoresis by Immunofixation Blood Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Stages of Plasma Cell Neoplasms (Including Multiple Myeloma) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Tests to Find Multiple Myeloma (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Tumor Marker Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Understanding Your Test Results (International Myeloma Foundation) - PDF

Treatments and Therapies

• Bone Marrow Transplantation: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Drugs Approved for Multiple Myeloma and Other Plasma Cell Neoplasms (National Cancer Institute)
• Integrative Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Therapies (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) Also in Spanish
• Stem Cell Transplants in Cancer Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Treatment Option Overview (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Living With

• Living as a Multiple Myeloma Survivor (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Amyloidosis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Monoclonal Gammopathies (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
• Questions to Ask about Multiple Myeloma (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Risk Factors for Multiple Myeloma (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• What Causes Multiple Myeloma? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Genetics

• Multiple myeloma: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Statistics and Research

• Advances in Multiple Myeloma Research (National Cancer Institute)
• Key Statistics about Multiple Myeloma (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Myeloma (National Cancer Institute)
• What's New in Multiple Myeloma Research and Treatment? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Multiple Myeloma (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Plasmacytoma (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Impact of single dose of pegfilgrastim on peripheral blood stem cell...
• Article: Bortezomib, Mitoxantrone Hydrochloride Liposome, and Dexamethasone for Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma: A...
• Article: A Randomized Controlled 'REAL-FITNESS' Trial to Evaluate Physical Activity in Patients...
• Multiple Myeloma -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American Cancer Society
• Choosing a Cancer Doctor (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish
• NCI - Designated Cancer Centers (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Bone marrow transplant (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Multiple myeloma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Protein electrophoresis - serum (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Quantitative Bence-Jones protein test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Serum globulin electrophoresis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish