A bone marrow cancer involving a type of w hite blood
cell called a plasma (or myeloma) cell. The tumor cells can form a single collection
(a plasmacytoma) or many tumors (multiple myeloma). Plasma cells are part of the
immune system and make antibodies. Because patients have an excess of identical
plasma cells, they have too much of one type of antibody. As myeloma cells increase
in number, they damage and weaken the bones, causing pain and often fractures. When
bones are damaged, calcium is released into the blood leading to hypercalcemia (too
much calcium in the blood) and that causes loss of appetite, nausea, thirst, fatigue,
muscle weakness, restlessness, and confusion. Myeloma cells prevent the bone marrow
from forming normal plasma cells and other white blood cells important to the immune
system so patients may not be able to fight infections. The cancer cells can also
prevent the growth of new red blood cells, causing anemia. Excess antibody proteins
and calcium may prevent the kidneys from filtering and cleaning the blood properly.
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