What is the Definition of Multiple Myeloma?
Article updated and reviewed by Corey Cutler, MD MPH FRCP(C), Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute on June 1, 2005. Multiple Myeloma is a malignant neoplasm (cancer) of the bone marrow. The tumor, is composed of plasma cells, a component of the immune system. Multiple myeloma destroys osseous (bony) tissue, especially in flat bones, causing pain, fractures, and skeletal deformities. Plasma cells produce proteins called immunoglobulins (antibodies) which circulate in the blood.. Antibodies are an important part of the body’s natural defense against disease since they recognize and can mount the attack against foreign matter such as bacteria or other infectious agents that invade the body. In multiple myeloma, the plasma cells become malignant (cancerous). The plasma cells grow and multiply without control in the bone marrow – destroying normal bone tissue and causing pain. If sufficient amounts of bone are destroyed, the calcium from this bone may
