Myeloma - causes, symptoms and treatment

Oncological diseases are a scourge of our time. Myeloma is a very rare cancer, blood cancer. Rarely people get sick before the age of forty, with a high probability of the disease occurs in elderly people. Most often, men are exposed to this disease. If all the same you have comprehended such a terrible disease, do not despair. There are patients who live with such a diagnosis for more than three years. Unfortunately, the causes of myeloma are still unknown.

Myeloma: symptoms

It is necessary to know that myeloma can last a long time without any symptoms, only after giving blood for analysis can be increased ESR. And only then there are symptoms, such as loss of appetite, bone pain, weakness, weight loss.

For most people with such a disease, the main symptom is bone pain. When moving, pains appear in the ribs and spine. There is a destruction of bones, this leads to the washing away of calcium from the bones and complications develop (drowsiness, vomiting, nausea and the most terrible - coma). When signs of compression of the spinal cord appear, the vertebra subsidence occurs.
Most often, patients are not protected from infectious diseases, as they are weakened by immunity. More than half of the patients begin to have kidney damage. Increases the viscosity of the blood, with symptoms such as fatigue, headache, retinal damage, vision impaired. Tingling is noted in the hands and feet.

Myeloma: stages

1) Sluggish

2) The burning

In the initial stage of the development of the disease, blood counts may not change, but the patients develop anemia. The main manifestations in the beginning of the disease and in the future may be anemia. Unfortunately, myeloma is very difficult to treat.

Treatment.

Treatment is carried out differently and in different volumes, all this depends on the stage of the disease. Some patients with myeloma experience a slow progression, which rarely requires antitumor therapy. Myeloma is better treated in the early stages. Radiation therapy will be effective in patients with solitary idleness of plasmacides. In patients with a slow developing form of the disease, it is recommended to wait time. When the tumor mass increases, cytostatics are prescribed. In the standard treatment appoint melphalan, chlorbutin, cyclophosphamide in combination with prednisolone, the treatment lasts from 5 to 7 days every 5 to 6 weeks, with the use of these drugs is the same. If you are sensitive to treatment, then you will quickly decrease pain in the bones, increase the level of hemoglobin of the blood. For greater effectiveness, treatment continues for at least 2 years. Also carry out activities that prevent complications.

To prevent and reduce calcium in the blood prescribed glucocorticoids in combination with a plentiful drink. Vitamin D is prescribed to reduce osteoporosis, from the kidney damage prescribed aplupurinol with a lot of fluids. Plasmapheresis, together with hemodialysis, is used against the development of renal failure. Under the influence of radiotherapy, pain in the bones may decrease.

What are the predictions of myeloma?

With modern methods of treatment, the life of patients is extended to an average of four years, otherwise this period is reduced by two years. Of course, the length of life depends on the sensitivity to the treatment itself with cytostatic agents, and patients with primary resistance to treatment have a lesser survival rate. But even with prolonged treatment with cytostatic agents, acute leukemia can develop, and it rarely develops in patients who have not been treated. Life expectancy depends not only on treatment, but also on the stage of the disease on which the tumor was diagnosed.
The causes of death can be the progression of the disease itself, myeloma, sepsis, stroke, kidney failure, most patients die of myocardial infarction and many other diseases.