Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that affects the hematological system and mainly produces kidney and bone complications. In addition, its symptoms are difficult to differentiate from those of other diseases.
It attacks plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that has the function of producing antibodies to fight infections.. Instead of healthy cells, malignant versions appear that produce abnormal antibodies, known as M protein or monoclonal protein, which damage different parts of the body.
That is why the disease has the word “multiple” in its name.
Main symptom of this cancer: back pain
Patients usually feel, before any other symptom, low back pain, a fairly generic condition which can be the result of a simple night’s sleep in an uncomfortable position, an intense workout in the gym or many other factors of everyday life.
But low back pain is also considered the main symptom of this rare cancer. It was precisely this discomfort that led the 37-year-old merchant Luiz Fernando Fontenele to embark on a long journey of examinations and medical consultations until he discovered the disease.
“I was in a lot of pain and only seven months after suffering the first fracture I received the diagnosis. I raised the suspicion myself because I had read about the symptoms on the internet,” he recalls to BBC News.
Patients usually feel, before any other symptom, low back pain, a fairly generic condition
As happened with Luiz Fernando, the disease can lead to fractures, as it leaves the bones weaker; anemia, due to excess plasma cells in the bone marrow, which generate a reduction in the number of blood-forming cells; and in more severe cases, kidney failure.
Multiple myeloma, a rare cancer
Although it is rare, It is the second most common blood cancer in the world.. The disease is most common in people over the age of 60, but it is also diagnosed in younger people.
The most emblematic case of world literature happened in Brazil. An eight-year-old boy, a resident of Salvador, Bahia, was diagnosed with the disease. According to the IMF (International Myeloma Foundation Latin America) organization, he was the first child in history to receive the diagnosis.
Multiple myeloma can be detected by a urinalysis or a blood test called serum protein electrophoresis, ordered when symptoms indicate inflammatory disease, autoimmune disease, acute or chronic infection, liver or kidney disease..
“Although I consider that the examination is not necessary on a routine basis for all people -because it could generate public spending that would take away resources from the fight against other diseases-, I consider it unacceptable that a patient can remain with symptoms for so long”, maintains the Professor Angelo Maiolino.
After the first symptoms, 29% of patients with multiple myeloma in Brazil take a year to receive a diagnosis and 28% wait even longer, according to a survey by Abrale (Brazilian Association of Lymphoma and Leukemia).
Multiple myeloma can be detected by a urine test or a blood test
“I saw cases of people who were on dialysis, with very compromised kidneys, who only discovered the disease three years later,” says the hematology professor at UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro).
Multiple Myeloma Treatment
Since the first diagnosis of multiple myeloma, in the 18th century, medicine has advanced in the evolution of both the biological knowledge of the disease and the treatments that today allow patients with this type of cancer to live longer and in better health..
The disease has no cure, but in many cases there are treatments that allow patients to live wellwith good symptom control. “It’s as if they had a chronic disease such as diabetes, hypertension…”, says Maiolino.
Early intervention, according to the doctor, is the best way to prevent the progression of the disease from irreversibly compromising the health of patients. “We use a type of treatment for each stage of the diseasebut if the condition is discovered late, the patient will not get it,” says the professor.
Another very common option is the indication of stem cell transplantation. Prior to the transplant, chemotherapy or radiation therapy is given to make room for the existing bone marrow (where the body makes blood, white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets) to make room for new marrow to grow.
The new bone marrow is a gelatinous liquid that can come from a donor or be autologous (from the patient himself). Luiz Fernando received a transplant, but suffered a relapse and the disease returned. “It was more difficult than receiving the diagnosis. I have a specific treatment”; narrated the Brazilian citizen.
And he completed: “They use a combination of drugs on me every 28 days in the hospital setting and every 21 days at home. I discovered multiple myeloma at the age of 28 and I don’t remember going a day without pain. It’s hard, but we learn to live with it. The combination of medications allows me to have a normal life.”
