Treatment and Prevention
Because it is not known what causes multiple myeloma, it is not possible to prevent this disease. However, you have a number of options for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
For people with multiple myeloma who are not experiencing symptoms, regular visits to their doctor to monitor the progression of the disease are necessary.
You may need treatment for the disease if:
- you develop symptoms, or
- there is an increase in the level of M protein in your blood or urine, or
- there is an increase in calcium in your blood, or
- you have problems with kidney function.
The different types of treatment include:
- chemotherapy, using medications such as melphalan* and prednisone
- stem cell transplantation
- radiation therapy
- plasmapheresis
- immunotherapy
Chemotherapy is a common treatment for multiple myeloma. It uses anticancer medications to directly damage and kill the abnormal myeloma cells. Medications used in chemotherapy are designed to specifically attack quickly multiplying cells, but they can also damage normal cells. To reduce the damaging effects and side effects of these medications, your doctor will carefully determine the type and dose of the medication as well as the duration of treatment.
A person with multiple myeloma can take the medication by mouth or through intravenous injection. The medication must be taken over a period of time, often months. If the level of M proteins stabilizes, you may be able to stop chemotherapy treatment.
Stem cell transplantation involves a combination of chemotherapy and the transfusion of a special type of cells called stem cells. Stem cells from you or a donor are transfused into your body to replace damaged bone marrow. During this initial part of the treatment, doctors usually avoid using certain medications that are known to seriously damage the bone marrow, such as melphalan, cyclophosphamide, and carmustine.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays that penetrate the body to destroy myeloma cells. The radiation targets a specific area, often where a tumor has developed. The treatment may be repeated for four or five days a week, for several weeks.
Plasmapheresis is a technique that separates blood cells from the liquid blood plasma. This treatment involves the removal of blood from a vein. The blood is separated and red blood cells are returned to your body through a different vein. The separation of the blood cells from the blood plasma is important because the plasma contains the abnormal proteins (M proteins) produced by the myeloma cells. This treatment does not kill myeloma cells but it helps the blood to circulate better since M proteins tend to thicken the blood.
Immunotherapy treatment involves using a person's own immune system to fight a disease. Use of a medication called interferon seems to work well for some people with myeloma. It acts by slowing the growth of myeloma cells and may help to keep the disease in remission longer.
To treat the anemia that is often associated with multiple myeloma, a medication called epoetin may be prescribed. Epoetin causes the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells.
*All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name
is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®).
The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen).
A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article
lists medications by their common names. For more information on brand names,
speak with your doctor or pharmacist.