myeloma.
One of the hematologic disorders is myeloma. Myeloma is a type of blood cancer that develops from plasma cells. Plasma cells are a type of white blood cells made in the bone in the marrow. Changes in the DNA of the plasma cells results in the disorder. The changes in the DNA result in the formation of numerous abnormal plasma cells that are referred to as myeloma cells (Kyle. 1995). The myeloma cells fill up the bone marrow, making it hard for it to make enough other blood cells. In some cases, the condition can affect many different bones in the body, thus it is sometimes called multiple myeloma. Since plasma cells are white blood cells, the myeloma cells make antibodies that cannot fight infection. Myeloma can also result in the manufacture of fewer antibodies than normal. Consequently, the body finds it difficult to fight infections.
The etiology of myeloma is thought to be unique to each individual patient. However, researchers have not yet determined the exact cause of the disorder. Some of the risk factors that can increase the chances of getting the infection include environmental factors such as exposure to certain types of industrial and agricultural chemicals, high doses of radiation, and viruses. A weakened immune system also contributes significantly to the disorder. The condition is not inherited like other diseases, such as breast cancer or cystic fibrosis that are caused by a single inherited gene. Instead, people inherit the genetic factors that increase the chances of developing myeloma but do not necessarily have to get the disease.
Myeloma represents 1-2% of all cancers and approximately 15% of all hematological malignancies. In laboratories, the disorder manifests itself by the presence of a monoclonal protein known as paraprotein, in serum or urine. Other manifestations of the disease are those that develop with the development of the disease, especially in its progression. However, they do not represent a large percentage of the cases. In some cases, the manifestations may be different from those described in textbooks, thus causing diagnostic difficulties. Knowledge of the rare clinical and laboratory variants of myeloma assist in making a differential diagnosis.
There are different types of treatment for the disease. If the myeloma has no symptoms, the patient does not need immediate treatment. Instead, the patient receives regular check-ups and tests. If the patient has myeloma with symptoms, he or she undergoes a combination of treatments. The aim is o reduce the number of myeloma cells in order to manage the symptoms.
Reference
Kyle, R. A. (1995, January). Multiple myeloma: a review of 869 cases. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 29-40).