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Multiple Myeloma

 What is Multiple Myeloma?

The center of our bones contains a soft material known as bone marrow. Within this bone marrow, cells called stem cells are responsible for the production of new blood cells. There are different types of blood cells produced by the body – white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. There are also many different types of white blood cells responsible for fighting infections in the body. The white blood cells responsible for protecting the body from germs and other infections are basically plasma cells.

When plasma cells turn abnormal, they start to divide and make copies of themselves. This in turn creates more and more abnormal cells in the body. These cells are referred to as myeloma cells and first start grouping together in the bone marrow. When they multiply, the condition is referred to as multiple myeloma. The cancer can spread to other tissues and organs as well as the bone marrow.