In a fit, healthy person, white plasma cells found in the bone marrow are responsible for producing antibodies that enable the body to fight germs and infections. Multiple myeloma is a cancer that attacks the white plasma cells. This form of cancer can either be latent with no symptoms whatsoever or can be aggressive and affect other organs like the bones and kidneys. The dismal news is there is no real cure for multiple myeloma, but the welcome news is that there are many treatments approved by the U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that target this chronic cancer. Individual or a combination of treatments aims at destroying the mutant cells and keeping them under control from multiplying exponentially, or at the very least makes an effort to delay the spread of the disease and prevent cancer from metastasizing.

Just in the United States, multiple myeloma predominantly affects older males of African American descent. But statistics confirm that more than 30,000 people are impacted by this relatively unusual cancer every year. This indicates that just about anyone can be affected by this disorder of the plasma cells. Treatments vary for every patient, not just based on how aggressive the cancer is and how quickly it is spreading, but also depending on whether it is a man or an expectant/breastfeeding woman who is affected. This is because certain medications have potential side effects and are known to negatively babies in the womb or newborn children who are suckling.

While continuous research has made available more experimental treatments for multiple myeloma, these are being assessed for both their efficacy and their possible side effects. At present, there are three categories of medicines that are being used to treat multiple myeloma. They are:

1. Proteasome inhibitors
Drugs that break down proteins and gives instructions for cell death, particularly to abnormal cells that grow uncontrollably. This apoptosis process commands the cancer cells to commit suicide, therefore preventing them from spreading to other parts of the body. Two major advantages of this treatment are healthy cells are not affected and there are no known side effects.

2. Immunomodulatory agents
Elements that stimulates and strengthens the immune system to fight cancer cells. Moreover, the Immunomodulatory agents prevent the body from rejecting a stem-cell transplant, another treatment option for multiple myeloma.

3. Monoclonal antibodies
These synthetic antibodies are produced in medical laboratories. These can bind themselves to antigens found in plenty on the surface of cancer cells and supplies toxins or radioactive substances to destroy it. Monoclonal antibodies act in the same way as a natural antibody in the immune system, to fight against foreign bodies and infections.

4. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) -T cell therapy
This is another alternative treatment that is being explored for treating multiple myeloma. The cancer patient’s white plasma cells are removed, treated biologically and modified in a laboratory. They are then re-introduced into the patient’s body to identify and fight against cancer cells causing multiple myeloma.

All the above-mentioned treatments for multiple myeloma, are either tried independently or in combination with one another. These help to extend the aseptic period and prolong the longevity of patients.