This article was originally published by Medical News Today
Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells. Doctors use a three-step staging system to classify the severity of multiple myeloma and whether it has spread.
A person may experience different types of symptoms in each stage, and survival rates will change depending on the stage of myeloma.
Plasma cells are a type of white blood cell that helps fight infections. In multiple myeloma, plasma cells become cancerous myeloma cells and outnumber healthy blood cells. This causes damage to the immune system, bones, and blood.
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the stage of cancer has a strong influence on the length of a person’s survival. Approximately 4.6% of people are diagnosed in the early stages of myeloma.
This article explains the different multiple myeloma stages and discusses the symptoms, treatment, and outlook for people with multiple myeloma.