Lenalidomide, an immunomodulating agent with the brand name Revlimid, is a new therapy for multiple myeloma. It is most often used with chemotherapy for patients who have relapsed after initial treatment. Although it is chemically similar to...
Hematologic cancer, commonly known as blood cancer, is a type of condition in which blood cells multiply at a rapid rate. Sometimes, the blood cells that are responsible for fighting infection become elevated. In some instances, these cells can...
The bone marrow produces plasma cells (a type of white blood cell) in response to an invasion by a bacterium or virus. The plasma cells make antibodies to fight off the attacking organism. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), multiple...
According to the Mayo Clinic, multiple myeloma is a chronic and progressive disease in which abnormal plasma cells increase in production. Plasma cells produce antibodies, specialized proteins that circulate in your body to fight off any foreign...
Multiple myeloma is a cancer that originates from a type of white blood cell known as plasma cells and is marked by an increase in the amounts of protein in the blood. Smoldering myeloma is a term used to describe the earliest stages of the disease.
One of the standard treatments for stage 1 multiple myeloma is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy works by administering medications that poison and kill cancer cells--sometimes by damaging their DNA and sometimes by other mechanisms. One agent that can...
Induction treatment, often simply referred to as induction, is the first therapy used to reduce the number of cancer cells. For myeloma, induction typically includes chemotherapy, which is followed by other treatments, such as irradiation or stem...
A patient with neuropathy has damage to one nerve or multiple nerves, resulting in a loss of sensation and problems moving. Certain medication can cause this damage, specifically to the peripheral nerves, which are the nerves outside the spinal...
The blood is a vital fluid within the body that contains all sorts of cells that carry oxygen and help fight against infection. Sometimes, the blood cells can grow at a rapid rate and wreak havoc on the body. Fortunately, a few blood cancer...
The American Cancer Society defines multiple myeloma as cancer that starts in plasma cells. Plasma cells are found in bone marrow and also have a role in the body's immune system. When cancer forms in the plasma cells, a tumor forms, typically in...
Multiple myeloma is a blood-related cancer affecting the plasma cells. Sufferers of multiple myeloma experience bone pain, fatigue, kidney problems and repeated infections. A number of treatments are available to lengthen life and improve...
Infections are now the leading cause of death in people with multiple myeloma. Advances in treatment have extended survival; however, certain myeloma therapies weaken patients' immune systems. For these reasons, the spectrum of infections...
Multiple myeloma---cancer that arises in the plasma cells of the bone marrow---is a relatively rare malignancy. Representing 1 percent of cancers in Caucasians and 2 percent in African-Americans, it strikes more than 20,000 individuals in the...
Multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood cells, specifically affects plasma cells, which are a type of white blood cell the body produces to fight infection. Plasma cells collect in the bone marrow. In multiple myeloma they grow out of control,...
Amyloid proteins are abnormal types of protein. They are produced by cells in the bone marrow and when they build up and get deposited in tissues or organs, amyloidosis takes place. The parts of the body most affected by this disease include the...
According to the American Cancer Society, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is diagnosed in more than 10,000 new patients per year; 80 percent to 90 percent of them are over age 60. Myelodysplastic syndrome occurs when bone marrow cells have problems...
There are a variety of treatment options available for multiple myeloma, including novel therapies, stem cell transplantation, and unique combinations of drugs. The side effects of these therapies vary among individuals and depend on which...
In multiple myeloma, defective plasma cells divide uncontrollably in the bone marrow, crowding out normal disease-fighting cells. This leads to a weakened immune system and damage in the bones and kidneys. Revlimid, which is manufactured by...
In the condition myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS, the bone marrow does not create sufficient numbers of healthy blood cells, including red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The bone marrow creates immature blood cells, which die...
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), including myelodysplastic syndrome associated with isolated del(5q), or MDS del(5q), occur when a problem in the bone marrow prevents the production of normal blood cells so that immature or dysfunctional blood...
The bone marrow, which is the spongy material inside of bones, is responsible for making many of the cells that circulate in the blood. The bone marrow contains special cells, called blood stem cells, which are able to produce these mature blood...
The Mayo Clinic defines amyloidosis as a complex disease that occurs when substances called amyloid proteins build up in the organs. Amyloid is an abnormal protein produced by bone marrow cells that have the ability to be deposited in any tissue...
Plasma cells refer to cells that produce antibodies (immunoglobulins), proteins that are necessary to defend the body against infection. According to the Merck Manual, a compilation of medical information for medical professionals, plasma cells...
Multiple myeloma is an uncommon cancer attacking the plasma cells, a form of white blood cells, present in bone marrow. Plasma cells make proteins called antibodies that help you battle infections. Many people know the plant turmeric as the spice...
