My wife was diagnosed a year ago with Multiple Myeloma which came as a surprise to us.  We are going through the tribulations of dealing with it and would like others with who find themselves in this same situation, to read and learn what I have to offer on this site.

In 1975, Dr Robert A. Kyle, 1 the world’s leader in the clinical investigation of monoclonal gammopathies, published a classic article in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings on the presenting symptoms and signs as well as the natural history of multiple myeloma (MM) at a time when the combination of melphalan and prednisone was the only available therapy. Generations of both clinicians and laboratory researchers have relied on this landmark article for understanding clinical manifestations and disease pathogenesis.

Multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cell, is an incurable but treatable disease. While a myeloma diagnosis can be overwhelming, it is important to remember that there are several promising new therapies that are helping patients live longer, healthier lives. The estimated frequency of multiple myeloma is 4-5 new cases per 100,000 persons per year. Accordingly, in the USA 15,270 new cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2004. At present there are approximately 50,000 people in the United States living with multiple myeloma.

There are often no symptoms in the early stages of myeloma. In some cases, myeloma may be discovered by accident during routine blood testing. When present, symptoms may be vague and similar to those of other conditions. However, there are some common such as kidney problems, pain, fatigue, and recurring infection. For kidney problems, excess protein in the blood, which is filtered through the kidneys, can cause kidney damage and lead to renal failure. Increased calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia) overworks the kidneys and can cause a variety of symptoms, including loss of appetite, fatigue, muscle weakness, restlessness, difficulty in thinking or confusion, constipation, increased thirst, increased urine production, and nausea and vomiting.

A common early symptom of multiple myeloma is pain in the lower back or in the ribs. This is the result of tiny fractures in the bones caused by accumulation of plasma cells and weakened bone structures. Fatigue is caused as a result of Anemia which is when the number of malignant plasma cells increases in the bone marrow, the growth and development of red blood cells in the bone marrow may be suppressed, leading to low levels of red blood cells in the blood. Finally, recurrent infections such as bacterial pneumonia, urinary-tract infections, and shingles result when increased numbers of myeloma cells decrease the production of infection-fighting white blood cells, leading to reduced immunity.

The method of tagmemics requires you to look at an idea in three ways – 1) what it is, 2) what it's made of, and 3) what its environment is. These three things are looked at in two ways -- 1) the way it is at this point of time and 2) the way it changes over time. Let’s look at how this concept relates to my topic of multiple myeloma.

The Cleveland Clinic Multiple Myeloma Research Center defines MM at this point of time as “a part of a spectrum of diseases labeled Plasma Cell Dyscrasia. Plasma cells are the cells responsible for forming antibodies against bacteria and foreign proteins. For reasons that are unclear, these cells lose their ability to respond to controlling signals from a hierarchy of immune cells. Plasma cells then divide and form abnormal proteins, which results in damage to the bone, the bone marrow, and/or other organs of the body.” The way it has changed over time is that a wide range of analgesic Drugs are now suitable for the control of pain in patients with myeloma. A relatively new class of drugs called bisphosphonates have been shown to help control bone disease in myeloma. During the last 10 years, doctors have seen an increase in cases of multiple myeloma occurring at younger ages, but patients are usually over age 40.

Objectives of the research are to be able to distinguish between MM and similar diseases, to learn recent treatment advances, to learn the benefits and risks of treatment options, to learn which drugs are now available and which are still in development, and to learn the types of transplantation and their indications.

An online activity on distinguishing between multiple myeloma and similar diseases is provided to enlighten visitors on the diseases of leukemia and lymphoma which. By the way, all have the common treatment of chemotherapy. At the conclusion of the learning activity, a practical exercise is also provided to access the knowledge that was gained from going through the learning activity. An email link is provided and available for those who might have questions to the practical activity.