Bone Cancer Myeloma Symptoms

Bone cancer myeloma symptoms - Complaints of multiple myeloma are also symptoms of other diseases. Complaints of multiple myeloma usually occur gradually. Many people are waiting for a visit to the GP because the complaints are mild at the beginning.

A general practitioner does not always think of multiple myeloma in these general and sometimes mild complaints. The disease is often only discovered later, while someone has complaints about a long time. Multiple myeloma causes complaints when the malignant plasma cells cause damage to your organs.

Complaints due to bone problems
Multiple myeloma causes fires in plasma cells in the bones. The whole bone can be affected.
You can also get bone remedies. This is called osteoporosis and can occur anywhere in the bone.
Due to both edema and bone loss, you may suffer from:

• sacked vertebrae, sometimes with spinal cord injury (transverse lesion) 
• small fractures of your vertebrae 
• fractures in the bones of your arms and legs 
• swelling of the skull by both edges in the skull 
• broken ribs through both edges of the ribs 
• ache. In both years it is usually in 1 or more places. In osteoporosis, it is usually in the whole spine at the level of the vertebrae. Pain can be a sign of an imminent fracture or instability.

Complaints caused by disturbed blood production
Multiple myeloma disrupts blood production. Complaints may be:

• often suffer from infections: due to a lack of healthy white blood cells and antibodies
• anemia with fatigue, paleness or shortness of breath: due to lack of red blood cells 
• spontaneous bleeding in nose and gums and unexplained bruises: due to a lack of platelets 

Complaints by blistering blood
The M-protein can make your blood bulky. This is called hyperviscosity. Complaints may be:

• worse due to damage to small arteries and capillaries of the eye 
• neurological problems such as a headache, dizziness, and coma

Complaints by more lime in blood
Due to the greatly increased bone breakdown in multiple myeloma, lime is released from the bones. This can increase the amount of lime in your blood. This is called hypercalcemia.
Hypercalcemia may cause complaints such as:

• nausea
• abdominal pain
• thirst
• irritability
• kidney damage

Complaints due to kidney problems
Multiple myeloma can help your kidneys work less well. In the beginning, you have few complaints. Complaints that may eventually arise are:

• more tired
• less pee
• hold moisture, for example around the ankles, in the legs or around the eyes

Complaints caused by nerve damage
Multiple myeloma can affect the nerves. This is called polyneuropathy. This can cause nerve pain.

Polyneuropathy often begins with the ends of long nerves: in the toes and fingertips. Polyneuropathy occurs in multiple myeloma due to the precipitation of light chains (amyloidosis) and the treatment with thalidomide or bortezomib.

Multiple myeloma may also cause nerves to be damaged or clogged from the vertebra to elsewhere in the body. This can also cause pain. Often these shots are severe pain. This is also called shooting pain.

Damage to the spinal cord may also cause you to get a sore throat. In case of a sore throat, functions fall out. For example, you can not use your legs anymore or you feel nothing in your legs anymore.

*Image source : Foot Vitals

References :

1. National Cancer Institute
2. Kanker.nl
3. American Cancer Society