Multiple myeloma

What Is Multiple Myeloma?

Multiple myeloma is a cancer caused by the uncontrolled, clonal expansion of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell normally responsible for producing antibodies.¹

These abnormal plasma cells build up within the bone marrow and can form tumors in many bones throughout the body, disrupting normal blood cell production and bone integrity.¹

Multiple myeloma is a plasma cell disorder that is on the rise throughout the world, particularly in the United States, Australia, and Western Europe, accounting for almost two percent of all cancer diagnoses in the United States.²

Multiple myeloma cells are abnormal plasma cells that build up in the bone marrow and form tumors in many bones of the body.
National Cancer Institute

Symptoms

The most common presenting signs and symptoms of multiple myeloma are anemia, bone pain, kidney dysfunction, fatigue, elevated calcium levels, infection, and weight loss.²

The hallmark end organ damage associated with multiple myeloma is often referred to using the acronym CRAB, standing for elevated calcium, renal involvement, anemia, and bone lesions.³

Because these symptoms can develop gradually and overlap with more common conditions, multiple myeloma is sometimes diagnosed only after substantial bone or kidney damage has already occurred.²

Causes

Multiple myeloma arises when a single abnormal plasma cell begins dividing uncontrollably, producing a clonal population of malignant cells that gradually crowd out normal bone marrow function.¹

Emerging genetic research continues to identify specific inherited variants that influence individual susceptibility to developing multiple myeloma, including variants near a gene called SOHLH2 shown to meaningfully influence risk.⁴

Multiple myeloma is often preceded by a precursor condition called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, which can progress to active myeloma over time in a subset of affected individuals.⁵

Risk Factors

Advancing age represents a major risk factor, with the average age at diagnosis being sixty nine years, along with male sex, which carries approximately one and a half times greater risk compared to women.³

Race also plays a meaningful role, as African American individuals are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with multiple myeloma compared to other populations.³

Family history is significant as well, with first degree relatives of patients with multiple myeloma or its precursor condition facing a two to four fold higher risk of eventually developing the disease themselves.³

Complications

Historically, the CRAB criteria, meaning elevated calcium, renal insufficiency, anemia, and bone lesions, defined the presence of clinically significant multiple myeloma requiring treatment.³

The International Myeloma Working Group has since revised the definition of active disease to include additional biomarkers, such as a high percentage of clonal plasma cells in the bone marrow, even in the absence of classic CRAB criteria.³

Bone lesions and related fractures represent a particularly significant complication, often requiring coordinated orthopedic and oncologic management alongside systemic cancer treatment.¹

Treatment

Proteasome inhibitors have assumed a central role in multiple myeloma management, owing to their effectiveness, generally manageable safety profile, and ability to be combined with other treatment agents.⁶

Three proteasome inhibitors, bortezomib, carfilzomib, and ixazomib, have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.⁶

These medications work by blocking plasma cell proteasomes from breaking down tagged proteins, causing toxic protein accumulation that ultimately triggers death of the malignant myeloma cells.⁶

Prevention

Because multiple myeloma arises from complex genetic and cellular changes that are not fully understood, there is currently no established way to reliably prevent the disease.

For patients diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, ongoing monitoring supports earlier identification if progression toward active multiple myeloma begins to occur.⁵

Limiting known modifiable risk factors, including unnecessary radiation or chemical exposure where possible, may offer some benefit in reducing individual risk.³

Why Visual Communication Matters for Multiple Myeloma

Explaining how a single abnormal plasma cell can multiply into a disease affecting bones, blood, and kidneys throughout the body requires visuals that make this systemic process easy to follow.

Pharmaceutical companies, hematology oncology practices, and patient education organizations rely on clear illustration and animation to explain multiple myeloma biology and treatment.

• Illustrating clonal plasma cell expansion within the bone marrow
• Animating the mechanism of action of proteasome inhibitor therapy
• Explaining CRAB criteria and updated diagnostic guidelines
• Visualizing bone lesion formation and related complications
• Supporting patient education on monoclonal gammopathy monitoring
• Creating training materials for hematology oncology clinicians

How Biotic Artlab Supports Multiple Myeloma Communication

We work with pharmaceutical companies, hematology oncology practices, and research organizations to create scientifically accurate visuals that make multiple myeloma easier to understand.

• Custom 3D animations of plasma cell biology and clonal expansion
• Detailed illustrations of proteasome inhibitor mechanisms of action
• Visualizations of bone marrow involvement and skeletal complications
• Patient facing materials on diagnosis, staging, and treatment options
• Clinical training content for hematology oncology teams
• Conference presentations and marketing visuals for myeloma research audiences

Frequently Asked Questions

What is multiple myeloma?

It is a cancer caused by uncontrolled expansion of abnormal plasma cells that build up in the bone marrow and form tumors in bones.¹

What are the CRAB criteria?

CRAB stands for elevated calcium, renal involvement, anemia, and bone lesions, the hallmark signs of end organ damage in multiple myeloma.³

Who is at highest risk for multiple myeloma?

Older adults, men, African American individuals, and people with a family history of the disease face the highest risk.³

What is monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance?

It is a precursor condition that can, in some cases, progress to active multiple myeloma over time.⁵

What are proteasome inhibitors?

They are a class of medications, including bortezomib, carfilzomib, and ixazomib, that block protein breakdown in myeloma cells and trigger their death.⁶

Can multiple myeloma be prevented?

There is no established way to prevent it, though ongoing monitoring for those with precursor conditions supports earlier detection.⁵

Have a Project in Mind? Contact Us.

If you are developing patient education materials, clinical training content, or marketing visuals related to multiple myeloma, our team can help translate the science into visuals that are both accurate and easy to understand. Contact us at info@biotic-artlab.com or get in touch through our contact form to discuss your project.

References

1. National Cancer Institute. Plasma Cell Neoplasms Including Multiple Myeloma Treatment.
2. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Epidemiology, Staging, and Management of Multiple Myeloma.
3. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Multiple Myeloma.
4. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Germline Variants at SOHLH2 Influence Multiple Myeloma Risk.
5. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Epidemiology, Genetics and Treatment of Multiple Myeloma and Precursor Diseases.
6. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Clinical Use of Proteasome Inhibitors in the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma.

Disclaimer: This page provides general educational information and is not a substitute for diagnosis, treatment, or individualized advice from a qualified healthcare professional.