What Are The Symptoms Of Multiple Myeloma?

Frequent Infections

As mentioned, multiple myeloma is a malignancy that develops in the plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies in the body that fight off infection-causing pathogens. White blood cells are a critical component of the immune system and the way it eliminates infection-causing bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. When an individual's immune system becomes compromised in any way, they will be more susceptible to infections because they do not have a strong defense system. Multiple myeloma patients have a shortage of functional plasma cells because the cancerous cells crowd them out and cause them to become non-functional. Instead of producing helpful antibodies to help fight against infection-causing pathogens, the cancerous plasma cells produce abnormal proteins that do not contribute to the actions of the immune system. This malfunction allows those with multiple myeloma to experience more frequent infections than an unaffected individual.

Read more about the various symptoms of multiple myeloma now.