Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow. Although there is currently no cure for myeloma, it is an eminently treatable disease. Many patients go on to lead full lives for years, even decades, after diagnosis.

It is a very individual disease. It is is often slow moving, but can sometimes be more aggressive. While the doctor assesses each particular situation and recommends the best approach, the patient plays a central role in helping make these individual treatment decisions. It is important that patients and their families be well informed, ask questions, and give serious thought to alternative strategies or options.

Myeloma is a tumor involving specialized white blood cells in the bone marrow. The cells that are affected are plasma cells, which are our antibody-producing cells. A malignant or cancerous plasma cell is called a myeloma cell. Myeloma is called "multiple" since there are frequently multiple patches or areas in bone where tumors or lesions have developed.