Myeloma

Myeloma is a type of cancer that starts in cells called plasma cells. Plasma cells are an important part of our immune system and they make antibodies (a type of protein) that help the body attack and kill germs when we have an infection. Plasma cells are found in the bone marrow, which is a spongy material in the centre of the larger bones where all our blood cells are made. In myeloma, the plasma cells become abnormal and start growing out of control and they stop producing the protein (antibody) that they should produce to help fight off infections. Because we have bone marrow in many of the bones in our body (e.g. the spine, skull, pelvis, rib cage, shoulders, hips and arms and legs), myeloma can affect any of these places and therefore it is often called multiple myeloma. We don´t know the exact cause of myeloma but certain factors can increase the risk of developing this type of cancer and these are mostly related to certain medical conditions and lowered immunity. Please see below if you want to find out more.

To help you find answers to some of your questions, we have linked to Maggie’s CancerLinks where you will be signposted to high quality information about myeloma. The information on these websites is not written specifically for young people but it is written using simple language in a way that most people will be able to understand. Don’t worry if there are lots of links to different websites. Have a look on the description of the links and very often you will find the information you are searching for on the first website that you look at. If you just want general information about cancer you could read the ‘About cancer’ section on riprap.

Remember that the information on these sites is general. Within each cancer type, there are different variations, different stages, different treatments and people may also respond differently to the same treatments. Each person is an individual and because of this, generic information may not fit the situation you are thinking of. Often your parents or someone else who knows the details can answer your questions best. Also, please feel free to get in touch with us here at riprap. We can help you sorting through information or discuss things you’ve heard or read or anything at all that’s on your mind.

Don’t forget that there are lots of effective treatments for cancer these days and many cancers can be completely cured. There are also very good treatments to control cancers that cannot be cured and research is going on all the time to find new treatments that can control and cure cancers.

Page updated 17 July 2017