| Multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cell, is an | | | | age at diagnosis of multiple myeloma is 62 years. |
| incurable but treatable disease. While a myeloma | | | | Only 2 to 3 percent of cases are reported in patients |
| diagnosis can be overwhelming, it is important to | | | | younger than 30 years.2 |
| remember that there are several promising new | | | | The disease is called multiple myeloma because |
| therapies that are helping patients live longer, healthier | | | | myeloma cells can occur in multiple bone marrow sites |
| lives. The estimated frequency of multiple myeloma is | | | | in your body. If you have multiple myeloma but aren't |
| 5-6 new cases per 100,000 persons per year. | | | | experiencing symptoms, your doctors may just need |
| Accordingly, in the USA 15,980 new cases are | | | | to monitor your condition. If you're experiencing |
| expected to be diagnosed in 2005. At present there | | | | symptoms, a variety of treatments are available. |
| are more than 50,000 people in the United States | | | | Blacks in the United States are twice as likely to |
| living with multiple myeloma. | | | | suffer from multiple myeloma as whites. In fact, |
| Multiple myeloma is a malignant proliferation of plasma | | | | multiple myeloma is the most common hematologic |
| cells that involves more than 10 percent of the bone | | | | malignancy in the U.S. black population.3 Multiple |
| marrow. It is a prototype primary malignancy of the | | | | myeloma is rare among persons of Asian descent, |
| bone associated with malignant plasma cells that | | | | with an incidence of only one to two cases per |
| secrete monoclonal immunoglobulins into the serum, | | | | 100,000 population. Standard therapy for multiple |
| the urine or both. | | | | myeloma includes alkylating agents administered with |
| Multiple myeloma is the most common primary cancer | | | | prednisone. The most commonly used alkylating |
| of the bones in adults. The annual incidence in the | | | | agent is melphalan (Alkeran). Melphalan, 9 mg per m2, |
| United States is three to four cases per 100,000 | | | | is given orally with 100 mg of prednisone on days 1 |
| population. Multiple myeloma represents 1 percent of | | | | through 4. Courses of therapy are repeated at four- |
| all cancers diagnosed in the United States and 10 | | | | to six-week intervals for at least one year. |
| percent of all hematologic malignancies. The median | | | | |