I went to the hospital because my back hurt, and it's blood cancer?
Sep 26, 2024
A 65-year-old woman, who had a bad back, visited the hospital one day due to severe back pain and leg strength while descending the stairs, and was diagnosed with nerve compression caused by a broken spine. During the examination to find the cause of the fracture, it was found that there was also anemia that did not know the cause, and the doctor transferred the patient to a higher general hospital with suspected blood cancer.
Since then, A was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, through blood tests and bone marrow tests and was in great shock. However, treatment such as complex anticancer therapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation began, and has been living without recurrence until the second year.
As such, there are cases where people visit hospitals due to back pain and are shocked when they are diagnosed with blood cancer. Blood cancer is usually associated with leukemia, but when looking at the frequency of occurrence, multiple myeloma is the second most common and is constantly increasing.
In September, the Blood Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), Professor Park Young-hoon of the Department of Hematologic Oncology at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital explained about multiple myeloma.
Professor Park said, `Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that occurs in plasma cells, a type of white blood cell involved in antibody production, and is one of the fastest growing cancers in Korea" Most of the patients are in their 60s or older, and it can be seen as a representative blood cancer that occurs in old age."
According to data from the Central Cancer Registry released in 2023, there were 1,915 cases of multiple myeloma among new cancers in Korea in 2021, accounting for 0.7% of all cancer cases. One of the typical symptoms of multiple myeloma is weakness and destruction of bones, and in fact, about 70% of patients who are first diagnosed with multiple myeloma complain of bone pain.
Multiple myeloma produces an abnormal protein called M-protein instead of normal antibodies, destroying the normal immune system and causing various symptoms. Hypercalcemia can cause thirst, nausea, suffocation due to consciousness disorders and anemia, dizziness, general weakness, and bone weakness, resulting in pain in fractures, back and ribs, or swelling of the body due to decreased kidney function. In fact, about 70% of the first patients diagnosed complain of back pain and bone pain in the hip joint.
Multiple myeloma is a problem with the disease itself, but it is often accompanied by chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, osteoporosis, and degenerative arthritis, which can lead to missed treatment timing.
Professor Park said "Most of the patients develop after middle age, so they are often accompanied by chronic diseases. Therefore, even if there are signs of multiple myeloma, the diagnosis is often delayed because it is judged to be a symptom of existing chronic diseases. "Older people with bone pain, anemia, and kidney dysfunction for unknown reasons need to be examined for multiple myeloma."," he said.
Professor Park continued "Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that is increasing with aging, and treatment should be performed in the direction of improving treatment results and improving quality of life through rapid diagnosis. We need to decide on a reasonable treatment method while discussing the treatment plan with our doctor.
Since then, A was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, through blood tests and bone marrow tests and was in great shock. However, treatment such as complex anticancer therapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation began, and has been living without recurrence until the second year.
As such, there are cases where people visit hospitals due to back pain and are shocked when they are diagnosed with blood cancer. Blood cancer is usually associated with leukemia, but when looking at the frequency of occurrence, multiple myeloma is the second most common and is constantly increasing.
In September, the Blood Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), Professor Park Young-hoon of the Department of Hematologic Oncology at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital explained about multiple myeloma.
Professor Park said, `Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that occurs in plasma cells, a type of white blood cell involved in antibody production, and is one of the fastest growing cancers in Korea" Most of the patients are in their 60s or older, and it can be seen as a representative blood cancer that occurs in old age."
According to data from the Central Cancer Registry released in 2023, there were 1,915 cases of multiple myeloma among new cancers in Korea in 2021, accounting for 0.7% of all cancer cases. One of the typical symptoms of multiple myeloma is weakness and destruction of bones, and in fact, about 70% of patients who are first diagnosed with multiple myeloma complain of bone pain.
Multiple myeloma produces an abnormal protein called M-protein instead of normal antibodies, destroying the normal immune system and causing various symptoms. Hypercalcemia can cause thirst, nausea, suffocation due to consciousness disorders and anemia, dizziness, general weakness, and bone weakness, resulting in pain in fractures, back and ribs, or swelling of the body due to decreased kidney function. In fact, about 70% of the first patients diagnosed complain of back pain and bone pain in the hip joint.
Multiple myeloma is a problem with the disease itself, but it is often accompanied by chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, osteoporosis, and degenerative arthritis, which can lead to missed treatment timing.
Professor Park said "Most of the patients develop after middle age, so they are often accompanied by chronic diseases. Therefore, even if there are signs of multiple myeloma, the diagnosis is often delayed because it is judged to be a symptom of existing chronic diseases. "Older people with bone pain, anemia, and kidney dysfunction for unknown reasons need to be examined for multiple myeloma."," he said.
Professor Park continued "Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that is increasing with aging, and treatment should be performed in the direction of improving treatment results and improving quality of life through rapid diagnosis. We need to decide on a reasonable treatment method while discussing the treatment plan with our doctor.
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