Battling bone cancer  

Myeloma is a type of cancer in which abnormal cells destroy normal tissue. This results in extremely fragile bones and intense pain.

This condition, which is also known as Kahler’s disease, is common in adults between the ages of 50 and 70. More men than women suffer from the dis¬ease.

There are many kinds of myeloma. But the tumor is often grayish red and appears in the ribs, pelvic bones, and the bones of the skull.

“The main symptom is bone pain, which seems to worsen at night. Back pain is often present. Bone fractures might occur. Aberrant bleeding, difficulty in urination, anemia, a exhausted feeling, painful swelling on the ribs, and susceptibility to infections are all doable symptoms,” according to Marion Morra & Eve Potts in “Choices: Realistic Alternatives in Cancer Treatment.”

“Since the bone marrow is producing fewer oxygen-carrying red blood cells and disease-fighting white blood cells, myeloma patients are often anemic and susceptible to infections such as pneumonia. As the plasma cells act against the bone tissue, calcium is released sometimes in amounts exceeding the kidney’s capacity to dispose of it. The patient might become weak, nauseated, and disoriented,” they added.

To diagnose myeloma, the physician might require x-ray studies to reveal destroyed bone parts. Blood and urine tests can detect abnormal proteins that indicate the presence of the disease.

Treatment of multiple myeloma depends on the extent of the disease. Chemotherapy and irradiation therapy are often used to relieve symptoms and repair bone damage. Exercise and sufficient fluid intake are important to prevent immobilization and calcium imbalance. Back braces might help keep the patient active.

“Radiation therapy might be used on specific parts of the back and neck to relieve pain and help repair bone damage. The tumor cells usually decrease in number at a rapid rate during the first few months of treatment, and the patient might go into remission. When a complete remission occurs, there is a complete return to a say of normal good health. The symptoms disappear, the physical findings become normal, and abnormal cells are no longer found in the bone marrow and blood,” Morra and Potts said.

Sometimes the remission is only partial, and one or more signs of myeloma might not disappear completely. Examination of the blood, urine, and bone marrow at regular intervals grants the physician to follow the course of the disease and to choose the proper treatment,” they concluded.

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About the Author

Sharon Bell is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premier online news entrepot http://www.HealthLinesNews.com.

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