How myeloma is treated and how long you can usually live

Myeloma requires a survival time based on the severity of the disease. If untreated, the prognosis is poor and death may occur within 1 year. With comprehensive treatment, life expectancy can be extended, and 5 years is a relatively long expected survival period. Myeloma, also known as plasmacytoma, is a malignant tumor that originates from bone marrow plasma cells. It is usually more common in hematology, but patients often come to orthopedics for diagnosis and treatment of localized bone pain and bone destruction. There are single and multiple myeloma, and multiple myeloma results in a large number of hematologic changes. Myeloma is also an abnormal proliferation of bone marrow cells, and treatment is mainly based on radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The targeted drugs for radiotherapy are mainly bortezomib, carfilzomib and thalidomide, etc. These drugs need to be used reasonably under the advice of doctors, and the number of myeloma can be greatly reduced through radiotherapy and chemotherapy. If myeloma causes compression, fractures, or paralysis, surgery is required to remove the mass if necessary to help relieve symptoms. For patients with pathological fractures, intramedullary fixation may be performed, and severe cases may require amputation. For nerve compression caused by vertebral myeloma, laminectomy for decompression can also be done. Radiotherapy followed by surgery is generally recommended.