What is multiple myeloma?

I am creating this lens to bring awareness of a disease that while not uncommon is not that well known either. That disease is multiple myeloma.

I have decided after much thought to devote 100% of the earnings from this lens to charity. Since I couldn't find a charity on Squidoo specifically for multiple myeloma research it is going to a charity dealing with leukemia and lymphoma.

The image accompanying this page is that of a ribbon that is sold online by the International Myeloma Foundation. If you purchase one or more the money will be contributed to the foundation and their mission to improve the quality of of life for myeloma patients while working for a cure.

I have previously created lenses based on various interests that I have. This lense however is a bit more personal. It centers around a type of cancer known as multiple myeloma. The reason that this issue is personal to me is that in 1995 my father Alva Stieneke was diagnosed with this cancer. They gave my dad anywhere from 3 weeks to six months to live at various times. He in fact lived for almost a full year after the illness began and it became diagnosed. It's Father's Day, 2008 and I am republishing this lens to see if it gets more visitors. If my dad were still alive he would be 92 this year, and I still miss him as if he left us yesterday.

The first doctor that he went to misdiagnosed him with osteoporosis and digestive disorder. My mother and my brother noticed that the treatment from that doctor was not helping my father. So they sent him to another doctor who after several tests diagnosed my father with multiple myeloma.

Over the past few years I have also witnessed the death of two celebrities due to multiple myeloma. One is Mark Lenard who played Spock's father Sarek in Star Trek episodes and movies and most recent and most notably Peter Boyle known for his acting in such movies as Taxi Driver, Young Frankenstien, and as Ray Milano's father in Everybody Loves Raymond.

Multiple myeloma is also known as plasma cell myeloma, or as Kahler's disease after Otto Kahler. It is a cancer of plasma cells, immune system cells in bone marrow that produce antibodies. Despite therapy, the prognosis for patients with multiple myeloma is generally poor. Treatment for patients may involve chemotherapy and stem cell transplant. This disease is part of a broad group of diseases called hematological malignancies.

The most expressive symptom of the disease is bone pain. Myeloma bone pain usually involves the spine and ribs, and worsens with activity. The bone pain is due to proliferation of tumor cells and the release of osteoclast activating factor, which stimulates osteoclasts to break down bone. The breakdown of bone also leads to release of calcium into the blood, leading to hypercalcemia and its associated symptoms. This can lead to other symptoms such as headaches which my father experienced often during his illness.

Common problems are weakness, confusion and fatigue due to hypercalcemia. Headache, visual changes and retinopathy may be the result of hyperviscosity of the blood depending on the properties of the paraprotein. Finally, there may be radicular pain, loss of bowel or bladder control (due to involvement of spinal cord leading to cord compression) or carpal tunnel syndrome and other neuropathies.

Other symptoms and ailments associated with multiple myeloma include but are not limited to are:

Common infections such as pneumonias and pyelonephritis.
Renal failure
Anemia

Treatment for multiple myeloma is focused on disease containment and suppression. Initial therapy is aimed at treating symptoms and reducing the burden of disease.

For more information about multiple mylema here is a site dedicated to supporting the efforts to find a cure. It is the official site of The International Myeloma Foundation and it is here to help everyone battling multiple myeloma—patients, families, friends, caregivers and the medical and scientific communities.

For another website that gives more information about multiple myeloma, its diagnoses and treatments check out
http://cancer.emedtv.com/cancer/multiple-myeloma-treatments.html
If you are some who as I do believes in using alternative healing methods whenever possible check out
http://cancer.emedtv.com/multiple-myeloma/alternative-multiple-myeloma-treatment.html