4 common treatment options for myeloma-affected patients
Cancer cells are those cells in our body that do not function as they are supposed to. When they change, grow and multiply out of control, they cease to be normal within our body. These cells become cancerous.
Myeloma occurs within plasma cells; so it is also known as the cancer of the plasma cells. Normal plasma cells are usually found in the bone marrow, which in turn is found within hollow bones in our body.
Although myeloma information and how it affects our immune system is now freely available all over the Internet, consulting specialists and understanding all the viable treatment options is the best way to go forward.
Treatment options
Myeloma information is abundantly available, and after a discussion about your conditions, the doctors may suggest one or a combination of the below treatments:
- Chemotherapy and medication : This involves the use of medications or drugs to arrest the spread of the cancerous cells by destroying them. These drugs can be given orally or through veins or muscle. This helps the drugs to enter the bloodstream, aiding faster recovery.
- Surgery : This is the suggested method when the patient is dealing with an isolated plasmacytoma, and it is rarely used to treat multiple myeloma. However, there are exceptions where weakened bones need support and rods or plates are inserted in an elective surgery. Such surgeries are done after doctors provide sufficient myeloma information to the patients to keep them well informed.
- Radiation : This is the most preferred form of treatment when you are dealing with an isolated plasmacytoma. This uses high-energy X-rays to treat the affected areas of the bone. Typically, those areas which are not responding to chemotherapy and are extremely painful are treated through radiation.
- Stem cell transplant : In this process, cancerous cells are destroyed using high doses of medicine through chemotherapy or radiation. On completion, healthy blood-forming stem cells are introduced into the bloodstream.
Knowing the condition and understanding it gives you more knowledge to make the right decisions, and this is where myeloma information comes in handy.
