Multiple Myeloma Survival Rate

What Is Multiple Myeloma Survival Rate?

According to statistics, people with multiple Myeloma have life expectancies ranging from a few weeks to more than 20 years following diagnosis, despite the fact that there is currently no treatment and the disease can be deadly. In the US, the 5 year survival rate for this disease is around 58%. Multiple myeloma survival rates vary depending on a number of variables. These factors include the cancer's stage, a person's age and general health, and the effectiveness of the treatment strategy. [¹]

Types of Multiple Myeloma

Two primary subtypes of multiple Myeloma exist (HMM) Hyperdiploid. Chromosome counts in myeloma cells are higher than average. About 45% of instances of multiple Myeloma are of this kind, which is often less aggressive. This type of cancer is either hypodiploid or non-hyperdiploid. Fewer chromosomes than usual are present in these myeloma cells. 40% of those with the illness have this more severe kind. Multiple Myeloma comes in a variety of forms. Additionally, there are a number of precancerous conditions that might occasionally cause multiple Myeloma. [²]

What are the signs and symptoms of Multiple Myeloma?

Affected bones from multiple Myeloma might hurt, mainly the back, ribs, or hips. Movement may exacerbate the discomfort, which is typically a dull aching that lasts for a long time. Among the various symptoms of multiple Myeloma, bone pain is frequently the first sign that individuals experience. You may also experience numbness or weakness in your arms and legs. Your spine's bones may get affected by multiple Myeloma, which might lead to them collapsing and pressing against your spinal cord. [⁴]

Multiple Myeloma diagnosis and staging

Following a cancer diagnosis, medical professionals will attempt to determine whether and how far the disease has spread. The staging procedure is what it is. How much cancer is present in the body is determined by the disease's stage. It helps evaluate the cancer's severity and the most effective course of treatment.

When discussing survival rates, doctors also refer to the stage of the malignancy. The chromosomes of the cancer cells may be examined by testing on the bone marrow. Cytogenetics is another name for this examination. A worse prognosis may be caused by certain chromosomal abnormalities. Ask your doctor to explain cancer staging to you in terms you can understand because it can be a complicated process. [⁵]

Early detection of multiple Myeloma is challenging. The symptoms of multiple Myeloma frequently do not appear until the disease has progressed. It can occasionally produce hazy symptoms that first resemble those of other illnesses. Sometimes a regular blood test reveals an abnormally high level of protein in the blood, which leads to the early detection of multiple Myeloma.

Patients with solitary plasmacytoma or monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) are at risk of developing multiple Myeloma and have routine blood tests to check for the disease. These individuals may have a quicker diagnosis of multiple Myeloma than those who didn't.

How Is Multiple Myeloma Survival Rate Diagnosed?

People with the same kind and stage of cancer are compared to persons in the general population using the relative survival rate. For instance, if the 5-year relative survival rate for a certain stage of multiple Myeloma is 60%, it implies that those who have the malignancy have a 60% greater chance than those who do not of living for at least 5 years following diagnosis.

The diagnosis of multiple Myeloma or a single plasmacytoma largely determines the likelihood of survival for myeloma patients. However, additional elements that might influence your prognosis include the tumor's cytogenetics (chromosome alterations), blood levels of certain proteins and other chemicals, renal function, age, and general health.

To find out about the survival rates for various cancers, the American Cancer Society uses data from the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Based on how widely the disease has spread, the SEER database records the 5-year relative survival rates. [⁶] That said, the SEER database does not categorize tumors according to the RISS (stage 1, stage 2, or stage 3). Instead, it divides malignancies into phases that are localized, regional, and distant.

Multiple Myeloma staging

Stage 0:

Blood counts, calcium levels, and kidney function are normal
Unnoticeable or no damage to bones or organs
No evidence of amyloid protein buildup (amyloidosis)

Stage 1:

Beta-2 microglobulin is lower than 3.5 mg/L
Albumin is 3.5 g/dL or higher
Cytogenetic studies don’t point to high-risk cell changes
Lactate dehydrogenase levels are normal

Stage 2:

All multiple myelomas that don’t fall into stage 1 or stage 3 are considered stage 2.
Beta-2 microglobulin is between 3.5mg/L and 5.5 mg/L
Cytogenetics don’t show high risk or can’t be determined [³]

Stage 3:

Beta-2 microglobulin is 5.5 mg/L or higher
Cytogenetics shows chromosomal changes in the myeloma cells that are high risk and/or lactate dehydrogenase levels are high

Is Multiple Myeloma Hereditary?

Although usually not inherited, this syndrome develops as a result of somatic mutations in plasma cells. Despite the fact that the pattern of inheritance is uncertain, some families appear to have a higher chance of getting multiple Myeloma. Some families seem to be predisposed to multiple Myeloma.

A person is more likely to get it than someone without this family history if they have a sibling or parent who has the disease. This still only accounts for a minor portion of instances because the majority of patients do not have any afflicted relatives.

Multiple Myeloma survival rate

In the US, the 5-year relative survival rate for multiple Myeloma is about 58%. The survival rates depend on numerous different factors. These include the stage of cancer, a person's age, general health, and how well the treatment plan works.

Around 30 out of every 100 (around 30%) will survive their Myeloma for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed. The outcome depends largely on how much the Myeloma has progressed and when it was diagnosed. The doctors conduct blood, urine, and bone marrow tests in order to determine the stage of your Myeloma.

Another important factor is your age and fitness and the type of treatment you have. There are numerous treatments available for Myeloma; however, they tend to be intensive and draining for the body. So, doctors ensure that you are healthy enough to undertake them first.

What Is the Survival Rate for Multiple Myeloma?

Your age, physical condition, and the kind of treatment you receive are additional crucial factors. Your performance status is what doctors refer to as how well you are. Myeloma treatments may be quite intense, and in order to get them, you must be healthy enough to endure them.

If your Myeloma responds favorably to therapy and enters full remission, this is encouraging. When you are in remission, neither a physical manifestation of your illness nor aberrant immunoglobulin levels in your blood or urine are present. Although remission may extend for months or even years, Myeloma will ultimately likely return and require more therapy.

Myeloma's behavior might change over time. When it grows slowly in some people, the prognosis is better. It is essential to speak with your own expert about this. Before your physicians can predict how your Myeloma will behave, it can take some time.

Multiple Myeloma Survival Rate By Stage and Age

The 5-year relative survival rate for those under 50 is 76.8%. The survival rate is 67.5% for people who are 50 to 64 and 49.6% for people beyond 65. Your diagnostic stage: The 5-year survival rate with localized Myeloma is 78.5%. The percentage is around 57% For Myeloma that has spread (Multiple Myeloma).

Multiple Myeloma survival rates in women vs. men

After non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple Myeloma is the second most frequent blood cancer and the 14th most frequent cancer overall in the United States. Males are more likely than females to develop multiple Myeloma; the female-to-male ratio is around 1.54 to 1. Myeloma is more common in males than in women, and it is more likely to occur as a result of aberrant class switch recombination events. Contrarily, men are more likely than women to acquire Myeloma and are more likely to do so because of hyperdiploid. [⁷]

Multiple Myeloma Treatment Options

At all stages of the illness, steroids are a mainstay of multiple myeloma therapy. Steroids can destroy multiple myeloma cells when used in large amounts. They can also lessen inflammation by preventing the passage of white blood cells to the diseased sites, which relieves pressure and discomfort.

You might not require therapy right away if you have multiple Myeloma but are asymptomatic (also known as smoldering multiple Myeloma). Early-stage multiple Myeloma that is slow-growing may not require immediate therapy. Your medical professional will nonetheless keep a close eye on your health and look for any indicators of illness progression. Periodic blood and urine testing may be necessary. [⁸]

Chemotherapy

Many cancer patients find the phrase "chemotherapy" to be frightening because they may think it would give them great discomfort and prevent them from going about their regular lives. Many people can, in fact, continue to work, spend time with family and friends, and go about their daily lives while undergoing chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy employs medications to cure cancer by destroying cells that are dividing. Cancer cells are more impacted than healthy cells because they proliferate and develop more rapidly than the majority of healthy, normal cells. Chemotherapy will nonetheless also have an impact on some healthy cells. This is what has unintended consequences. Most side effects can be avoided or have their severity reduced.

Clinical Trials for Multiple Myeloma

For all forms and stages of multiple Myeloma, clinical trials are employed. Many people concentrate on novel therapies to find out if they are risk-free, efficient, and perhaps even superior to current therapies. These trials often assess new medications, various treatment fusions, novel radiation therapy or surgical techniques, and novel therapeutic approaches. Multiple myeloma research is a particularly active field of cancer study.

Clinical trial participants may be among the first to get a treatment before it is made available to the general public. There is no assurance that the new procedure will be secure, efficient, or superior to what medical professionals already employ.

Risk Factors for Multiple Myeloma

Anything that alters a person's likelihood of contracting an illness like cancer is considered a risk factor. Risk factors for different types of malignancies vary. For instance, prolonged exposure to direct sunlight increases the chance of developing skin cancer. Smoking increases the chance of developing lung and other cancers. But risk variables do not provide all the information. Even without any risk factors, a person might still get the illness.

A person does not necessarily have the illness just because they have one or more risk factors, or even numerous. Myeloma risk may be increased in those who have been exposed to radiation, asbestos, benzene, insecticides, or other chemicals used in the production of rubber. [⁹]

Conclusion

Myeloma, sometimes referred to as multiple Myeloma, is a kind of bone marrow cancer. The spongy substance in the middle of some bones called bone marrow is where the body makes its blood cells.

The primary cause of the majority of multiple myeloma cases is still unknown to science. However, they have made strides in comprehending how specific alterations to DNA might cause plasma cells to become malignancy. DNA is the substance that contains the instructions for almost all of what our cells perform. Plasma cells are impacted by the uncommon blood malignancy known as Multiple Myeloma. Healthcare professionals can treat associated symptoms and halt the progression of multiple Myeloma, but they cannot cure it.

Takeaway

Anything that might raise your chances of contracting an illness is a risk factor. Family history of cancer, diet, and smoking, among other things, can all be risk factors for a certain form of cancer. Sometimes the precise reason why someone gets cancer is unknown. However, risk factors can increase a person's likelihood of developing cancer.

You have no control over some risk variables, such as your age and family history. Others, though, could be things you can alter. Making decisions that might minimize your risk require knowledge of the risk variables. For instance, you could decide to eat healthily if an unhealthy diet is a risk factor. If being overweight puts you in danger, you could opt to try to reduce weight. Frequent checkups with a health professional can also reduce one’s chances of developing a more serious form of this type of cancer.