myeloma cancer | Myeloma: Anatomical explanations | Myeloma, bone marrow cancer

Myeloma, bone marrow cancer



Myeloma is a bone marrow cancer, it is a blood disease. Bone marrow, not to be confused with the spinal cord. Some anatomical reminders, myeloma explanations and video testimonials in this file.

Myeloma: Anatomical explanations

Myeloma: Explanations by Michel Cymes and Marina Carrère
The bone marrow is a soft tissue located inside the bones. It should not be confused with the spinal cord, located inside the spine. If one takes the example of a long bone, at the extremities, it is filled with a spongy tissue while in the center there is a hollow part, the medullary space. In fact, there are two kinds of bone marrow, the yellow bone marrow that is housed in the medullary space and the red bone marrow that is found in the cavities of the spongy part.

It produces the stem cells that will give the different cells of the blood: the White blood cells (defense cells), the red blood cells that carry oxygen and also the platelets that allow to seal the gaps in blood clotting.

In myeloma, cancer appears in the heart of the bone marrow from a variety of white blood cells: the plasma. It is the immune cells that are responsible for producing different antibodies for infection control. In the case of myeloma, a plasmocyte producing an antibody type begins to multiply in an uncontrolled way, so they start to produce the same antibody in large quantities. This is done at the expense of the other antibodies, yet necessary for the protection of the organism

These sick plasma invade the marrow in several bony regions and release substances that attack the structure of the bone around the tumor

The balance between construction and bone destruction is disturbed, the bone cannot repair itself. Myeloma causes bone destruction in 70 to 80% of patients.

As a result, the bones become brittle and spontaneous pains and fractures, without trauma, appear.

Testimony
Patrick has been diagnosed with myeloma since the age of 55 years, he testifies
Myeloma remains an incurable disease in the majority of patients. But their average life expectancy, which was 5 to 10 years old, is now lengthened thanks to new treatments. And this lengthening affects a large number of patients.

What treatments?
The different stages of treatment
Myeloma is an incurable disease, but there are treatments. These new treatments include thalidomide and its derivatives. Thalidomide is a sad memory medication since it was prescribed in the years 1950, against the nausea of pregnant women; He had caused serious birth defects in their children. But in recent years, American doctors and researchers have realized that it is extremely effective to "starve" tumor cells in the case of myeloma. And since October 19, 2009, the thalidomide has been marketed again in France.

However, the first-line treatment for patients under 65 years of age still remains intensive chemotherapy. But to prevent this chemo from removing all the healthy stem cells, the ones that are responsible for making the different blood cells, we practice an autograft.

That is, the patient is removed from his or her own stem cells to be reinjected later. This is a three-step process that takes place in the hospital.

The chemotherapy with Autograft is mainly recommended, as has been said, for patients under 65 years of age, because beyond that, the risk of infection after the removal of cells is too important. For older patients, there are also promising medications.