Exercise brings with it many benefits that are helpful for people with multiple myeloma or in remission. At the top of that list: Exercise&#39;s ability to reduce fatigue and boost energy. Many of the treatments for cancer have fatigue as a side effect, i

Staying Fit During Multiple Myeloma Remission

Hitting remission is undeniably amazing news. It means that not only is your cancer undetectable (or close to undetectable), but many of your symptoms will dissipate. Remission for people with multiple myeloma, which is not considered curable, can be a bi

What Multiple Myeloma Remission Really Means

Learn why you should contact your doctor if you have symptoms of hematologic cancers.

If you have symptoms of hematologic cancer, you should contact your doctor. Hematologic cancers are very serious disorders, and early diagnosis with prompt, appropriate treatment will improve your chances of being survival. Survival rates in the last 30 years have almost doubled because of major advances in treatment. Your doctor can help make the diagnosis, begin treatment, and manage side effects of the treatment.

Should I talk to my doctor about my hematologic cancer symptoms?

A physical examination can determine if blood cancers are a possibility, but the diagnosis can only be made by using one method. Learn more.

The diagnosis of hematologic cancer is often suspected by symptoms or findings on physical examination. These symptoms indicate the presence of excessive cells in the bone marrow or lymphatic system (for example, bone pain and enlarged lymph nodes) or low numbers of normal blood cells. Blood tests may suggest the diagnosis by showing low numbers of normal blood cells. In myeloma, the diagnosis may be suspected by finding high quantities of proteins (produced by the cancer cells) in the blood or urine. The diagnosis of hematologic cancer, however, can only be made with certainty by examining cells from the cancer under a microscope. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy are common ways to obtain these cells for examination in leukemia and myeloma. During these tests (which are usually done at the same time), small samples of bone marrow are removed through a needle inserted into a bone. In lymphoma, cancer cells are often obtained by biopsy of an enlarged lymph node.

How are hematologic cancers diagnosed?

Myeloma is caused by an uncontrolled growth of plasma cells. Learn more from our experts about multiple myeloma.

One type of blood cell cancer called multiple myeloma affects blood plasma cells, a type of cell involved in immunity. It causes tiny holes throughout bone that can weaken and fracture easily. As the cancerous cells become more abundant in the marrow, it crowds out healthy stem cells so they never have a chance to mature into healthy platelets, red blood cells and white blood cells. The Multiple Myeloma Tipoff: Chronic bone pain, back pain, unexplained fractures, anemia, frequent infections, and fatigue can be a sign of multiple myeloma.

What is multiple myeloma?

Various therapies can cure hematologic cancers. Learn more from our contributors.

Depending on the cell of origin, there are cures for some hematologic cancers, including certain forms of leukemia and lymphoma. And while modern therapies have prolonged survival in other cancers such as multiple myeloma, there is not yet a cure.

Is there a cure for hematologic cancers?

Hematologic cancers are the leading causing of death in young people. Learn more about these serious illnesses.

Hematologic cancers are very serious. They are malignant tumors that are potentially lethal without treatment. Hematologic cancers are currently responsible for approximately 9.5 percent of cancer deaths in the United States. Approximately one person dies from a hematologic cancer every 10 minutes. It is estimated that approximately 53,240 people died from hematologic cancers in 2009 in the United States. Leukemia is the number one cause of death due to cancer in children and teenagers. Fortunately, the death rate attributed to hematologic cancers has decreased in recent years. This may be because of earlier diagnosis, more effective treatment, or both.

Are hematologic cancers serious?

Read more about graft-versus-host disease and other side effects of stem cell transplantation.

Most of the side effects experienced by people who receive stem cell transplantations for hematologic cancers are caused by the high-dose chemotherapy and radiotherapy administered prior to the transplantation. The most common and serious are due to the destruction of essentially all bone marrow cells, leading to dramatically reduced numbers of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Infections and bleeding are particularly likely. The most feared side effect of the transplantation itself is graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a disorder in which white blood cells in the stem cell preparation attack and destroy cells of the person receiving the transplant. GVHD most often causes destruction of cells in the skin, liver, and intestines, and it can be fatal. The risk of GVHD can be reduced by receiving drugs to suppress the function of the white blood cells or by treating the stem cells to remove the accompanying white blood cells. It only occurs with allogeneic transplantations, in which the stem cells are genetically different from the person receiving them: that is, they are obtained from another person, who is not an identical twin. Graft-versus-tumor is a related, but beneficial, effect that may also occur. In this situation, the white cells in the stem cell preparation attack and destroy any remaining cancer cells.

Dr. Steven Denstman, MD

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Dr. Steven Denstman, MD

Dr. Denstman's Locations

Practices

Dr. Denstman's Accepted Insurance Carriers & Plans

Dr. Denstman's Accepted
Insurance
Carriers & Plans