Symptoms of Multiple Myeloma
If you have multiple myeloma, you might not experience any symptoms. You also might report a nonspecific symptom that our providers can’t observe.
Some people experience:
- Pain in the back or bones
- Anemia, fatigue and/or loss of appetite
- Constipation
- Hypercalcemia, a condition in which the calcium level in your blood is above normal
- Kidney damage
- Weight loss
Diagnosing Multiple Myeloma
Your doctor can recommend tests, starting with a physical exam, to determine if you have multiple myeloma.
They might include:
- Blood tests
- Bone marrow biopsy
- Diagnostic imaging tests like MRI, CT scan, PET scan and X-ray
- Molecular testing of a tumor
Treating Multiple Myeloma
The prognosis for multiple myeloma is gradually improving as a result of new and improved therapies.
Treatment might include:
- Chemotherapy and other drugs
- Bisphosphonate, a group of medicines that slow down or prevent bone loss
- Radiation therapy
- Surgery
- Plasmapheresis, or blood plasma exchange
- Stem cell transplant