What can I expect after the diagnosis of myeloma?
Myeloma is a cancer that affects the type of blood cells called plasma cells, causing symptoms such as high calcium levels, kidney problems and bone lesions. This cancer is also known as Kahler's disease, multiple myeloma and myeloma of plasma cells. The diagnosis of myeloma is often followed by a process called staging cancer, which may include blood tests, X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-ray computed tomography (CT-scan). Cancer staging is performed after the diagnosis of myeloma to determine which of the three phases of the disease in which the patient is a specific patient is evaluated from Stage I, which is early diseases, to Phase III, which is more advanced. Once the scope of the disease is determined, various treatment options such as drug chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, stem cell transplantation or radiation therapy can be recommended. These tests are a test for blood albumin, which may be myed to determine whether to damage the kidneys, and the Beta-2 micro Glo testBulin, which is used to determine how plasma cells are affected. CT scan, which provides detailed X -ray images of bones and MRI, which also provides detailed images of internal tissue, is sometimes performed after diagnosis of myeloma to determine any bone lesions.
The international production system (ISS) is often used after the diagnosis of myeloma. Staging the disease is performed both to determine, what treatment can be recommended, and to help predict survival in patients. Patients with myeloma stage I have few symptoms without damaging the bones and calcium levels that are usually normal. In these patients, doctors sometimes recommend what is called alert waiting, which does not include any medical treatment, but regular checks. Medium survival is more than five years in patients with myeloma stage I.
Stage II Myeloma presents more cancer cells and medium survival is only more than four years. Patients with myeloma in Stage III have advanced bone lesions, anemia and high calcium levels and medium survival is only for more than two years. After the diagnosis of myeloma in patients in Phase II and III, different types of treatment are recommended. Part of the treatment may include combined chemotherapy, which includes the use of several drugs, targeted radiation and transplantation of bone cells or bone lords. This treatment may slow down or lead to cancer remission, but may also have serious side effects such as hair loss, nausea and vomiting.