Immunotherapy uses your immune system to fight cancer. By blocking these abnormalities, targeted drug treatments can cause cancer cells to die. Targeted drug treatments focus on specific weaknesses present within cancer cells. If you develop signs and symptoms or your multiple myeloma shows signs of progression, you and your doctor may decide to begin treatment. This may involve periodic blood and urine tests. However, your doctor will regularly monitor your condition for signs that the disease is progressing. Immediate treatment may not be necessary for multiple myeloma that is slow growing and at an early stage. If you have multiple myeloma but aren't experiencing any symptoms (also known as smoldering multiple myeloma), you might not need treatment right away. If you're experiencing symptoms, treatment can help relieve pain, control complications of the disease, stabilize your condition and slow the progress of multiple myeloma.
Your multiple myeloma stage and risk category help your doctor understand your prognosis and your treatment options.Ĭlick here for an infographic to learn more Your multiple myeloma may also be assigned a risk category, which indicates the aggressiveness of your disease. Stage I indicates a less aggressive disease, and stage III indicates the most aggressive disease. If tests indicate you have multiple myeloma, your doctor will use the information gathered from the diagnostic tests to classify your disease as stage I, stage II or stage III. Tests may include an X-ray, MRI, CT or positron emission tomography (PET). Imaging tests may be recommended to detect bone problems associated with multiple myeloma. Specialized tests, such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) can analyze myeloma cells to identify gene mutations. In the lab, the sample is examined for myeloma cells. The sample is collected with a long needle inserted into a bone (bone marrow aspiration and biopsy). Your doctor may remove a sample of bone marrow for laboratory testing. Analysis of your urine may show M proteins, which are referred to as Bence Jones proteins when they're detected in urine.Įxamination of your bone marrow. Another abnormal protein produced by myeloma cells - called beta-2-microglobulin - may be detected in your blood and give your doctor clues about the aggressiveness of your myeloma.Īdditionally, blood tests to examine your kidney function, blood cell counts, calcium levels and uric acid levels can give your doctor clues about your diagnosis. Laboratory analysis of your blood may reveal the M proteins produced by myeloma cells.
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