Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that develops from plasma cells in the bone marrow. Its symptoms are often subtle—and frequently linked to other, less serious conditions—but paying attention to them is important.
“Myeloma is a challenging diagnosis to make because there is not one particular sign or symptom [that] points us to a diagnosis,” says Joseph Mikhael, MD, a professor in the Division of Clinical Genomics and Therapeutics at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope® Cancer Center, and Chief Medical Officer of the International Myeloma Foundation.
In a Q&A interview with curetoday.com, Dr. Mikhael points to three symptoms that may signal multiple myeloma. They are:
- Extreme fatigue
- Bone pain
- Anemia
Taken individually, these are very general symptoms, “but when [they’re] going on, and there really isn’t a clear explanation, we want people to start to think about the potential of multiple myeloma,” Dr. Mikhael says. Not all three symptoms must be present to be concerned, he says.
This is particularly important in patients who are at high risk for multiple myeloma. That includes people over age 60, Hispanic Americans and those of African descent.
This article explores:
- Myeloma and fatigue
- Multiple myeloma anemia
- Multiple myeloma bone pain
- Other myeloma symptoms
- When to contact a doctor about possible myeloma
If you’ve been diagnosed with myeloma and would like to get a second opinion on your diagnosis and treatment options, call us or chat online with a member of our team.
Myeloma and fatigue
Initially, multiple myeloma symptoms tend to be mild. Sometimes, in fact, they’re so mild they’re essentially undetectable. Yet as abnormal plasma cells grow, divide and take over the bone marrow, more noticeable signs are likely to emerge—signs like extreme fatigue.
Fatigue related to myeloma isn’t the regular kind of fatigue most people experience, Dr. Mikhael says. Instead, it’s an ongoing weakness that doesn’t get better with rest.
The problem is that the abnormal plasma cells begin crowding out healthy bone marrow cells, damaging the bone and causing the blood to thicken. When this happens, it may lead to bone damage, bone loss and bone fracture—most commonly in the rib cage, spine and pelvis. This increases the risk for developing spinal cord compression, which may cause pain, numbness or weakness in the limbs.
Multiple myeloma anemia
Still, myeloma-related fatigue may come from other culprits, as well, including anemia. Anemia develops when cancer interferes with bone marrow function, lowering the number of red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body.
In addition to fatigue, anemia may cause symptoms like pale skin, dizziness and shortness of breath. Similar to myeloma itself, anemia symptoms may be mild at first but tend to worsen over time.
About three-quarters of people with multiple myeloma also have anemia. Its presence is confirmed with a blood test —typically, a complete blood count, or CBC.
Multiple myeloma bone pain
Another common symptom in people with multiple myeloma is bone pain. In fact, Dr. Mikhael says over half of patients with myeloma have bone pain. For many, this begins as back pain simply because of the number of bones in that part of the body, Dr. Mikhael says.
People with multiple myeloma also may notice bone pain in the chest and hips. That’s because the disease may affect bone marrow sites in those areas.
Other myeloma symptoms
Dr. Mikhael highlights fatigue, anemia and bone pain as the three most common symptoms of myeloma, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only ones.
Other signs of the disease may include:
- Bruising
- Frequent infections and fevers
- Frequent need to urinate and extreme thirst
- Unexplained weight loss
When to contact a doctor about possible myeloma
While myeloma shouldn’t be the first thing that comes to mind if you experience these symptoms individually, if you experience them together and they’re not going away, you should talk to your doctor, particularly if you’re at high risk for myeloma.
“We want people to simply be aware of [these risks],” Dr. Mikhael says. “We don’t want people to think about myeloma every time they are tired, but when it reaches a point when they are working with their primary care provider and something doesn’t make sense in [these areas], we want to think about multiple myeloma.”
That’s important because diagnosis of myeloma is often delayed. On average, people see their primary care provider three times with signs and symptoms consistent with multiple myeloma before they’re diagnosed, Dr. Mikhael says, adding that it’s even longer for African American and Latino American patients.
If you’ve been diagnosed with myeloma and would like to get a second opinion on your diagnosis and treatment options, call us or chat online with a member of our team.
