Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that begins in a type of white blood cell called plasma cells; these cells begin reproducing rapidly and interfering with the production of normal blood cells, according to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center website. This disease occurs in about 20,000 people each year in the United States, and usually in people older than 50, according to 2010 information from the Merck Manual website. While some people with multiple myeloma may have no symptoms at the beginning of the disease, there are some symptoms that may be present at diagnosis.
Bone Problems
One of the first symptoms of multiple myeloma is bone pain, according to the Merck Manual website. The cancer cells create proteins that remove calcium from the bones, as noted on the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy website; the loss of calcium causes the bones to weaken and fracture. These fractures are called lytic lesions; these bone changes also cause significant pain especially in the back and pelvis. According to the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, about 50 percent of patients have bone lesions that can be seen on radiology exams at diagnosis.
High Calcium Levels in the Blood
Another symptom of multiple myeloma is high calcium levels in the blood, or hypercalcemia, according to the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy. Destruction of bones by the cancer can cause this symptom. Patients may have nausea, confusion and impaired nerve function; the high levels of calcium may also cause kidney damage. The Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy notes that about 15 percent of patients present with hypercalcemia at diagnosis.
Changes in Blood Thickness
The myeloma cells create an abnormal protein that can be found in the blood, according to MayoClinic.com. The excess proteins in the blood cause hyperviscosity, or increased thickness of the blood; the proteins also attach to platelets and impede their function. These patients develop bruising, nose bleeds and gastrointestinal bleeding.
Abnormal Proteins in the Urine
The abnormal proteins can also be found in the urine, as noted on MayoClinic.com. The proteins that are attached to platelets can cause overloading of the kidneys and may lead to kidney failure. More than 20 percent of patients with myeloma have some kidney impairment at diagnosis, according to the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy.
Anemia
As the cancer stops the production of normal blood cells, some patients develop anemia, as noted on the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy website. This may occur because of the infiltration of the bone marrow by cancer cells, which crowd out healthy cells including red cells, or the lack of erythropoietin, a hormone that creates red blood cells and is produced by the kidney. Fatigue, shortness of breath and weakness are symptoms of anemia, according to the Merck Manual, about 70 percent of patients with myeloma present with this condition.
Frequent Infections
White blood cells that are involved in fighting infection are also affected by the myeloma cells, according to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; this makes patients susceptible to frequent infections. Infections, such as pneumonia, sinusitis and kidney infections, are common in patients with myeloma.
