Diagnosis: Do I Have Multiple Myeloma?
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/ Updated January 25th, 2019

Diagnosis: Do I Have Multiple Myeloma?

Medical Source: Dr. Nina Shah
UCSF Medical Center
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Diagnosing multiple myeloma can be difficult because the initial symptoms resemble other more common ailments.

"It's very common for someone to say, ‘you know, I've been feeling really tired’, and ‘you know, I noticed I had a few more infections last winter,’ " says Dr. Nina Shah, hematologist at UCSF. Multiple myeloma can cause symptoms such as fatigue and a greater susceptibility to illness because the disease disrupts the body's immune system. Your physician may then decide to run several tests, including:

  • Blood draw: vials of blood are drawn to identify signs of anemia, a condition marked by a lack of healthy blood cells
  • MRI or PET scan: these produce images that can help identify bone fractures caused by tumors in the bone marrow
  • Urine test: checks for the presence of abnormal proteins that myeloma cells produce
  • Bone-marrow biopsy: confirm the myeloma diagnosis and help characterize it as either high-risk or low-risk
Read More
If you’ve been feeling a bit unwell recently, you should absolutely not assume you have cancer. However it is important to see your doctor to get checked out and to keep pushing until you have an adequate explanation of your symptoms.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

Dr. Nina Shah is a hematologist who specializes in the treatment of multiple myeloma, a type of cancer affecting the blood marrow. She treats patients at the Hematology and Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinic. Read More

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Patient Pathfinder

We’re here to help. Have you had any treatment for myeloma yet?

You might want to check out some top experts outlining the initial treatment for myeloma.

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Multiple Myeloma Initial Treatment

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Got it. Are you looking for maintenance treatment?

You might want to check out some top experts outlining maintenance treatment for myeloma.

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Multiple Myeloma Maintenance Treatment

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Ok. Has your Myeloma come back? Here are some useful resources:

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Multiple Myeloma Reoccurrence Treatment

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If you’ve had at least four treatments that have not worked or stopped working you might be a candidate for a treatment called CAR T Therapy.

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CAR-T Therapy for Multiple Myeloma

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Diagnosing Multiple Myeloma

These videos can help you understand the process to determine if you have multiple myeloma and the important factors which will shape your treatment.

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