Multiple Myeloma
What is Multiple Myeloma?
- Multiple myeloma is the second most common blood cancer in the U.S., with an estimated 34,470 new cases to be diagnosed in 2022.[i,ii]
- Multiple myeloma arises in a person’s bone marrow, when plasma cells mutate into problematic myeloma cells. These cells accumulate, crowding out healthy blood cells.[iii]
- The next generation of multiple myeloma research is pointing towards a number of investigational targets, including BCMA. BCMA, or B-cell maturation antigen, is a protein found on cancerous myeloma cells, which is exhibited in all people with multiple myeloma.[iv,v]
What are the signs and symptoms of multiple myeloma?
- While some may not exhibit symptoms of multiple myeloma, once myeloma cells begin to crowd normal blood cells, symptoms often appear. Some signs and symptoms of multiple myeloma include:[iii,vi]

Who can be impacted by multiple myeloma?
While everyone can be impacted by multiple myeloma, it is more common in:
- People aged >66 years old.[i] The risk of developing multiple myeloma increases with age.
- Men[iii] are slightly more likely to develop multiple myeloma.
- African Americans[vii] are at twice the risk of developing multiple myeloma compared to white Americans.
How is multiple myeloma diagnosed?
- Multiple myeloma is often diagnosed through several exams and tests. Most commonly, doctors may run a variety of specialized blood and/or urine tests, bone marrow examinations, x-rays or other imaging tests and genetic tests.[iii]
How is multiple myeloma treated?
- Treatments for multiple myeloma work in different ways, so a person’s doctor may choose to combine various therapies including stem cell transplant, chemotherapy, corticosteroids, antibody therapy, immunomodulators and proteasome inhibitors.[vi]
- Download this PDF file to learn more about multiple myeloma.
References
i Kazandjian D. Multiple myeloma epidemiology and survival: A unique malignancy. Semin Oncol. 2016;43(6):676–681. doi:10.1053/j.seminoncol.2016.11.004.
ii American Cancer Society Cancer Statistics Center. Myeloma. https://cancerstatisticscenter.cancer.org/#!/cancer-site/Myeloma. Accessed February 2022.
iii Gertz MA. Multiple Myeloma. NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders). https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/multiple-myeloma/. Published 2016. Accessed February 2022.
iv Seckinger A, et al. Cancer Cell. 2017;31(3):396–410.
v Cho SF, et al. Front Immunol. 2018;9:1821.
vi Multiple myeloma. Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center. https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/7108/multiple-myeloma. Published 2016. Accessed February 2022.
vii National Cancer Institute. Mulitple Myeloma Awareness and African American Disparities. https://www.cancer.gov/about-nci/organization/crchd/blog/2017/multiple-myeloma-disparities. Published April 2017. Accessed February 2022.
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