Myeloma
An estimated 15,980 new cases of myeloma will be diagnosed in the United States in 2005. Myeloma may be called by several names, including plasma cell dyscrasia, plasma cell myeloma, myelomatosis and multiple myeloma.
The major forms of myeloma are divided into categories, which allows the physician to decide what treatment works best for the particular type of disease.
The most common form of myeloma (about 90 percent of cases) involves many sites in the body. It is sometimes called multiple myeloma.
Some people have a single clump of myeloma cells outside the marrow. This is called an extramedullary plasmacytoma.
Plasmacytomas can form in the skin, muscle, lungs or almost any other part of the body.
Some people diagnosed with myleoma have solitary myeloma. This means they have one area of myeloma in the body.
Some cases of myeloma progress slowly. These cases are called smoldering or indolent myeloma. Sometimes patients with smoldering or indolent myeloma are not treated right away. In most cases treatment is needed at some point.
Myeloma results from an acquired injury to the DNA of a single cell in the lymphocyte development sequence that leads to the formation of plasma cells. Myeloma occurs in lymphocytes developing into B cells, as opposed to T cells. B lymphocytes transform into plasma cells, which produce proteins called antibodies (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Early lymphocyte development in adults takes place mainly in the lymph nodes. The lymphocyte then migrates to the marrow (a major site of plasma cell development and function), where further development takes place. The malignant transformation in myeloma may occur in a more developed B lymphocyte. The affected lymphocytes are induced to complete step three and transform into malignant cells that have the appearance of plasma cells.
The major forms of myeloma are divided into categories, which allows the physician to decide what treatment works best for the particular type of disease.
The most common form of myeloma (about 90 percent of cases) involves many sites in the body. It is sometimes called multiple myeloma.
Some people have a single clump of myeloma cells outside the marrow. This is called an extramedullary plasmacytoma.
Plasmacytomas can form in the skin, muscle, lungs or almost any other part of the body.
Some people diagnosed with myleoma have solitary myeloma. This means they have one area of myeloma in the body.
Some cases of myeloma progress slowly. These cases are called smoldering or indolent myeloma. Sometimes patients with smoldering or indolent myeloma are not treated right away. In most cases treatment is needed at some point.
Myeloma results from an acquired injury to the DNA of a single cell in the lymphocyte development sequence that leads to the formation of plasma cells. Myeloma occurs in lymphocytes developing into B cells, as opposed to T cells. B lymphocytes transform into plasma cells, which produce proteins called antibodies (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Early lymphocyte development in adults takes place mainly in the lymph nodes. The lymphocyte then migrates to the marrow (a major site of plasma cell development and function), where further development takes place. The malignant transformation in myeloma may occur in a more developed B lymphocyte. The affected lymphocytes are induced to complete step three and transform into malignant cells that have the appearance of plasma cells.
posted by TM at 12:39 PM
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