The immune system is composed of several types of cells that work together to fight off infection and other disease. Lymphocytes are the main cell type of the immune system. When these tumors grow in multiple sites they are referred to as multiple myeloma. MM is the most common primary cancer of the bones in adults with an annual incidence of 3-4 cases per 100,000 population in the United States. MM is considered to be a disease of older persons, occurring most commonly in those over age 50.
Chemotherapy is the standard treatment to destroy or control myeloma cells.
The drugs may be taken orally or intravenously, and are commonly given as combinations of two or more. The choice of regimen depends on the person's age, kidney function, and the stage of the disease. Radiation may also be used. This MediFocus Guide contains an extensive listing of citations and abstracts of recent journal articles that have been published about this condition in trustworthy medical journals. This is the same type of information that is available to physicians and other health care professionals.