National Cancer Institute National Cancer Institute
U.S. National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute
Send to Printer
What You Need To Know About™ Multiple Myeloma
    Posted: 11/20/2008
About This Booklet

This National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet (NIH Publication No. 08-1575) is about multiple myeloma,* a cancer that starts in plasma cells, a type of white blood cell. It's also called plasma cell myeloma. Each year in the United States, about 20,000 people learn they have this disease.

This booklet is only about multiple myeloma. It is not about bone cancer. Although multiple myeloma affects the bones, it begins in plasma cells.

Bone cancer begins in bone cells. It's diagnosed and treated differently from multiple myeloma. The NCI's fact sheet Bone Cancer: Questions and Answers 1 provides information about bone cancer.

Also, this booklet is not about plasmacytoma (a collection of abnormal plasma cells that forms a single tumor) and other types of plasma cell tumors. You can find information on our Web site at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/myeloma. Or, the Cancer Information Service (1-800-4-CANCER) can send you information about those diseases.

This booklet tells about diagnosis, treatment options, and tests the doctor may give you during follow-up visits. It also tells about supportive care before, during, or after treatment. Learning about the medical care for multiple myeloma can help you take an active part in making choices about your care.

This booklet has lists of questions that you may want to ask your doctor. Many people find it helpful to take a list of questions to a doctor visit. To help remember what your doctor says, you can take notes or ask whether you may use a tape recorder. You may also want to have a family member or friend go with you when you talk with the doctor - to take part in the discussion, to take notes, or just to listen.

For the latest information about multiple myeloma, please visit our Web site at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/myeloma. Or, contact our Cancer Information Service. We can answer your questions about cancer. We can send you NCI booklets and fact sheets. Call 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) or instant message us through the LiveHelp 2 service at http://www.cancer.gov/help.

* Words in italics are in the Dictionary 3. The Dictionary explains these terms. It also shows how to pronounce them. 




Dictionary Terms

multiple myeloma (MUL-tih-pul MY-eh-LOH-muh)
A type of cancer that begins in plasma cells (white blood cells that produce antibodies). Also called Kahler disease, myelomatosis, and plasma cell myeloma.


Table of Links

1http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/bone
2http://www.cancer.gov/common/popups/livehelp.aspx
3http://www.cancer.gov/Dictionary