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Add a paragraph introducing yourself or your subject. Include any material
you'd like to help create a webpage that is unique to you. Multiple myeloma is the second most prevalent blood cancer after non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It represents approximately 1% of all cancers and 2% of all cancer deaths.
Myeloma is often referred to by the particular type of immunoglobulin or light chain (kappa or lambda type) produced by the cancerous plasma cell. The frequency of the various immunoglobulin types of myeloma parallels the normal serum concentrations of the immunoglobulins. The most common myeloma types are IgG and IgA. IgG myeloma accounts for about 60% to 70% of all cases of myeloma and IgA accounts for about 20% of cases. Few cases of IgD and IgE myeloma have been reported.
Although a high level of M protein in the blood is a hallmark of myeloma disease, about 15% to 20% of patients with myeloma produce incomplete immunoglobulins, containing only the light chain portion of the immunoglobulin (also known as Bence Jones proteins, after the chemist who discovered them). These patients are said to have light chain myeloma, or Bence Jones myeloma. In these patients, M protein is found primarily in the urine, rather than in
the blood. These Bence Jones proteins may deposit in the kidney and clog the tiny tubules that make up the kidney's filtering system, which can eventually cause kidney damage and result in kidney failure. Bence Jones proteins will not be detected by routine urinalysis. A more complex test called immunoelectrophoresis can measure the exact amount of Bence Jones proteins in the urine.
A rare form of myeloma called nonsecretory myeloma affects about 1% of myeloma patients. In this form of the disease, plasma cells do not produce M protein or light chains.
Recent statistics indicate both increasing incidence and earlier age of onset. The average age at diagnosis is about 68 years, and only 1% of cases are diagnosed in individuals under the age of 40. Approximately 50,000 Americans currently have myeloma, and the American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 15,980 new cases of myeloma will be diagnosed during 2005.
About the Author
Multiple Myeloma is the most common Cancer of the Plasma Cells. More Info at http://www.eask.info
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Lymphoma in the News
01/11/2012
Ohio parents plead guilty to denying medical care for 8-year-old son who died ... - Washington Post
Ohio parents plead guilty to denying medical care for 8-year-old son who died ... - Washington Post
02/06/2012
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The Make-A-Wish Foundation brought about a dozen youths to Super Bowl 2012 in ... - Indianapolis Star
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UT MD ANDERSON, TEXAS A&M TEAM UP TO TREAT CANINE LYMPHOMA - The Cypress Times
UT MD ANDERSON, TEXAS A&M TEAM UP TO TREAT CANINE LYMPHOMA - The Cypress Times
02/06/2012
Altadena Rescue Group Looking to Help 'Bo,' A Dog With Cancer - Patch.com
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Altadena Rescue Group Looking to Help 'Bo,' A Dog With CancerPatch.comBo, a rottweiler, has lymphoma and needs money for treatment. By Dan Abendschein Bo, the dog, has lymphoma. The Altadena-based rescue group caring for him is looking to raise money for his treatment. Bo, a 5-year-old rottweiler, loves to bask in the ... |
Altadena Rescue Group Looking to Help 'Bo,' A Dog With Cancer - Patch.com
02/03/2012
Sisters work to raise money to fight lymphoma - Kane County Chronicle
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Sisters work to raise money to fight lymphomaKane County ChronicleA scan showed a huge tumor in my chest, a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma the size of a small cantaloupe pressing against my heart and lungs.” Both Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are named for a group of blood cancers that develop in the lymphatic or ... |
Sisters work to raise money to fight lymphoma - Kane County Chronicle
02/03/2012
Research and Markets: Triple Analysis: Lymphoma, Apoptosis and Antibodies - Bradenton Herald
Research and Markets: Triple Analysis: Lymphoma, Apoptosis and Antibodies - Bradenton Herald
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