What is Multiple Myeloma Cancer?
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the blood that begins in the plasma cells, which function as part of the body’s immune system. Plasma cells, which are found mostly in bone marrow, make proteins called antibodies that attack invading organisms and fight infection. Cancerous plasma cells collect in the bone marrow and in the hard outer part of bones. In most cases of multiple myeloma cancer, the cells collect in many bones, causing multiple tumors and other problems. A cancerous plasma cell is referred to as a myeloma cell. This is an important distinction, as it differentiates multiple myeloma cancer from bone cancer, which is a cancer of the bone cells. Bone cancer diagnostic techniques differ from those for multiple myeloma cancer, and bone cancer treatment differs from multiple myeloma cancer treatment as well. There are 13,500 new cases of multiple myeloma cancer diagnosed each year; it accounts for 20% of all new blood cancers, and 1% of new cancers overall. Multiple myeloma cancer
