Life & Home
6 Types of Multiple Myeloma
Cancer is slowly becoming the new epidemic that is gripping the world. Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer where plasma cells present in the blood grow in an uncontrolled manner. Plasma cells are a constituent of blood along with other cells. There are various types of multiple myeloma. 1. Main subtypes Multiple myeloma has two main subtypes: Hyperdiploid – In this, myeloma cells have more chromosomes. The patient has a better prognosis as compared to non-hyperdiploid type. Non-Hyperdiploid – In this type, the cells have fewer chromosomes than normal. They are more severe and less likely to respond to medication. 2. Types of myeloma From the two subtypes, the different types of multiple myeloma are: Light chain myeloma In this type, the immunoglobulin produced is incomplete and is known as light chain antibody. This is termed as light chain myeloma. Patients do not have complete monoclonal immunoglobulin. It constitutes about 15% of multiple myeloma cases. Non secretory myeloma In this type, the patients are unable to produce enough M proteins. A bone marrow biopsy is needed to confirm it. They represent 1-2% of the total multiple myeloma. Extramedullary Plasmacytoma These tumors start outside the bone marrow in soft tissues such as throat, sinuses, and nose.
Read More